THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


AIJANIKXN1NG    TI1K    "GOOD    LUCK."  —  Frontispiece. 


PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND 


OR 


THE  ROBINSON  CRUSOE  OF  THE 
NINETEENTH  CENTURY 


BY 

DOUGLAS   FRAZAR 

AUTHOR  OF  "PRACTICAL  BOAT  SAILING"  ETC. 


Illustrated 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK   CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 

1885 


Copyright, 

1884, 
BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 


ELECTROTYPED  BY 

C.  J.  PETERS  AND  SON,  BOSTON. 


.    ; 


PEEFACB. 


IN  all  works  of  the  Robinson  Crusoe  type,  the  wreck  is 
always  near  at  hand,  the  powder  dry  and  preserved,  and 
the  days  for  rafting  the  same  ashore  calm  and  pleasant. 
This  unfortunate  had  no  such  accessories;  and  his  story 
proves  the  limitless  ingenuity  and  invention  of  man,  and 
portrays  the  works  and  achievements  of  a  castaway, 
who,  thrown  ashore  almost  literally  naked  upon  a  desert 
isle,  is  able  by  the  use  of  his  brains,  the  skill  of  his 
hands,  and  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  common  arts 
and  sciences,  to  far  surpass  the  achievements  of  all  his 
predecessors,  and  to  surround  himself  with  implements 
of  power  and  science  utterly  beyond  the  reach  of  his 
prototype,  who  had  his  wreck  as  a  reservoir  from  which 
to  draw  his  munitions. 


M309325 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGK 

Boyhood  and  youth  of  the  author.  Sailor's  life.  The  "  Good  Luck." 
South  Pacific  Island  scheme.  Loss  of  crew  off  Cape  Horn  ....  3 

CHAPTER   II. 

Push  forward  for  the  Society  Islands.  Driven  into  Magellen  Straits  by 
stress  of  weather.  Anchor  in  a  land-locked  bay.  Search  for  fresh 
water.  Attacked  by  savages.  Serious  injuries  to  Capt.  Davis  and 
one  of  the  crew.  Return  to  the  schooner  and  make  sail  for  the  open 
ocean.  Resolve  to  return  to  England.  Finally  lay  our  course  for 
Easter  Island 9 

CHAPTER  III. 

Captain  Davis's  condition.  Only  five  men  fit  for  duty.  Terrific  storm. 
The  schooner  thrown  on  her  beam  ends  and  dismasted.  Loss  of 
three  more  of  the  crew.  Taking  to  the  whale-boat.  Foundering  of 
the  schooner  "Good  Luck."  Death  of  Captain  Davis.  Storm  again, 
running  to  the  southward  before  the  tempest.  Strike  upon  a  reef. 
The  author  cast  on  shore 19 

CHAPTER  IY. 

Return  to  consciousness.  Seek  for  my  comrades.  Commence  a  calen 
dar,  and  take  inventory  of  my  effects 38 

CHAPTER  V. 

Attempt  to  make  a  fire.  Distil  salt  water.  First  meal.  Reflections. 
Hat-making.  Repose  45 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Build  fireplace.  Make  knife  and  spear  from  anchor.  Build  tower  of 
stones  for  perpetual  lamps.  Resolve  to  explore  the  island  ....  56 

vii 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Improve  my  lamp-tower.  Make  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  fish-hooks  and 
lines.  Capture  a  large  turtle.  Improve  my  steel  and  flint,  and  build 
a  hut.  Procure  some  salt,  and  make  arrangements  to  explore  the 
island  on  the  morrow 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Rainy  day.  Reflections  concerning  climate,  season  of  the  year,  tides, 
etc.  Plant  several  varieties  of  my  seeds.  Make  a  pocket  compass, 
and  prepare  for  niy  exploration  of  the  island 73 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Exploration  of  the  island  :  First  day.  Fresh  water  at  Rapid  River. 
Wild  goats,  quail,  tortoise,  tobacco,  wild  ducks,  trout,  sweet  pota 
toes,  mussels.  Name  the  island  and  principal  points,  etc 85 


CHAPTER  X. 

Exploration  of  the  island  :  Second  day.    Find  coal  and  sulphur,  seals, 
more  turtles,  gulls,  etc 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Exploration  of  the  island  :  Third  day.    Stalking  goats.    Mirror  lake  and 

river  and  bay.    Sad  moonlight  thoughts 105 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Exploration  of  the  island  :  Fourth  day.  Finish  the  exploration  of  the 
island,  and  build  stone  house  at  Rapid  River 113 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Make  a  hatchet  of  my  iron  hammer.  Make  matches  and  utensils  for 
house.  Team  of  goats,  chair,  table,  etc.  Birch-bark  canoe.  Ar 
rangements  for  winter 124 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Make  chairs,  and  ai  range  my  house,  seal-skins,  and  goat-skins.  Provide 
provisions  for  winter.  Discover  wild  grapes,  and  make  wine  and 
vinegar.  Find  potassium,  or  saltpetre.  Make  gunpowder,  and  by 
means  of  my  compass  discover  iron.  Thoughts  of  the  future  ...  136 


CONTENTS.  ix 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Make  a  mould  for  bricks.  Build  a  brick-kiln  and  make  bricks.  Build  a 
smelting-house,  blast-furiiace,  kiln  for  cleansing  ore.  Meditations. 
Build  water-wheel  and  fan-wheel,  and  set  my  machinery  for  an  air- 
blast  to  reduce  the  ore  .  .  151 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Smelt  my  iron  and  make  Bessemer  steel  and  all  kinds  of  tools.  Erect 
an  anvil  and  forge.  Build  a  saw-mill,  and  plant  a  farm  and  kitchen- 
garden 166 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Make  an  astrolabe,  and  obtain  the  latitude  of  the  island,  and,  by  an 
eclipse  of  the  moon,  the  longitude  also.  By  means  of  the  Epitome 
make  a  chart  on  Mercator's  projection,  find  find  out  the  distance 
from  any  known  land 176 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  resume  of  three  years  on  the  island.  Daily  routine  of  life.  Inven 
tions,  discoveries,  etc.  Fortification  of  the  Hermitage.  Manufac 
ture  of  cannon  and  guns.  Perfection  and  improvement  of  the  ma 
chine  shop.  Implicit  faith  of  ultimately  overcoming  all  obstacles 
and  escaping  from  the  island.  Desire  to  accumulate  some  kind  of 
portable  wealth  to  carry  with  me,  and  desire  to  explore  the  island 
for  its  hidden  wealth  and  the  surrounding  ocean  for  pearl  oysters  .  189 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Construct  a  submarine  boat,  to  be  propelled  by  goat  power  and  to  make 
its  own  air,  to  examine  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  near  the  island  for 
pearl  oysters  ..................... 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Launch  the  submarina  boat.    Experiment  with  it  in  Stillwater  Cove  .    .    223 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Explore  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  in  the  vicinity  of  the  island  with  my 
submarine  boat.  Discover  pearl  oysters  and  invent  a  great  improve 
ment  to  my  boat  ....................  li:.i»" 


CON  T  PINTS. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

Manufacture  glass.  Build  a  steam  yacht,  and  circumnavigate  the 
island.  Lay  up  large  stores  of  valuable  pearls  obtained  from  the 
pearl  oysters 252 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Discovery  of  a  human  habitation.      The  skeleton  and  manuscript       .    .    265 

CHAPTER  XXIY. 

The  Pirate's  manuscript 277 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Finding  of  the  sunken  Avreck.     The  submarine  explosion  of    the  hull. 

Recovery  of  over  ten  millions  in  bars  of  gold  and  silver 295 

CHAPTER  XXYI. 

Chess  and  backgammon  playing.  Fortification  of  the  island.  Team  of 
white  swans.  Goats  as  servants,  and  opponents  in  backgammon 
playing 310 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 

Discovery  of  gold.    Turn  the  stream  out  of  the  lake,  and  build  portable 

engine  to  separate  the  gold 321 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  sea  serpent.    Attack  and  capture  one  of   the  species,  thus  putting 

the  question  of  its  existence  forever  at  rest 339 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Make  a  balloon  and  flying  machine,   in  which  I  make  a  successful 

ascension .    349 


CHAPTER   XXX. 
The  manuscript  sent  forth 


THE    MANUSCRIPT. 


PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND,  SOUTH  PACIFIC. 
To  the  Person  who  shall  find  this  Manuscript,  GREETING, — 

I  hope  that  in  the  mercy  of  God  these  lines  may  come 
to  the  hands  of  some  of  my  fellow-creatures,  and  that  such 
action  may  be  taken  as  may  be  deemed  best  to  inform  the 
world  of  my  fate  and  that  of  my  unfortunate  comrades ; 
if  the  finder  will,  therefore,  cause  the  accompanying  ac 
count  to  be  published,  he  will  confer  a  lasting  benefit 
upon  his  humble  servant, 

ROBINSON  CRUSOE, 
Otherwise  called  WILLIAM  ANDERSON. 


Everybody  must  remember  the  setting  out  of  the 
schooner  "  Good  Luck "  from  the  Liverpool  docks,  Eng 
land,  in  the  summer  of  1865,  with  the  advance  guard  of 
a  colony  to  be  established  in  the  Southern  Pacific,  on  one 
or  more  of  its  numerous  islands  to  be  selected ;  and  from 
that  day  to  this,  the  non-reception  of  any  news  of  her 
from  her  day  of  sailing. 

I  am  the  only  survivor  of  that  ill-fated  vessel,  and  re 
cord  here,  in  hopes  that  the  manuscript  may  reach  the 
eyes  of  those  interested,  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  pray 
that  they  will  speedily  send  to  my  relief  some  vessel  to 
take  me  home,  and  permit  me  once  more  to  gaze  upon  the 
faces  of  my  fellow-men  before  I  die. 


THE   FINDING   OF   THE   MANUSCRIPT. 


SHOTTSVILLE,  DELEFERO  COUNTY,  TEXAS, 

April  1,  1877. 

RETURNING  to  my  home  in  the  evening  after  a  hard 
day's  work  on  my  quarter-section  farm,  I  saw  in  the  twi 
light  an  object  dangling  in  the  air,  and  apparently  fast 
to  a  young  walnut  sapling.  I  approached  it  and  found 
that  it  was  a  small  balloon  of  about  three  feet  in  diameter, 
made,  I  should  think,  of  some  kind  of  delicate  skins  of 
beasts  or  birds  sewed  cunningly  together.  Attached  in 
the  place  where  the  car  should  be,  I  found  the  manuscript 
herewith  submitted,  written  on  some  kind  of  parchment, 
which,  being  taken  home  and  read,  I  found  of  such  startling 
interest  that  I  have,  although  poor,  ordered  the  same  pub 
lished  at  my  expense  in  hopes  that  some  action  may  be 
taken  by  those  whom  it  may  concern  to  move  further  in 
the  matter.  I  further  depose  that  the  accompanying  manu 
script  is  the  original  one  found  by  me  attached  to  the 
balloon,  and  that  it  has  never  been  tampered  with  or 
allowed  to  leave  my  possession  till  this  moment.  It  can 
be  examined,  as  well  as  the  balloon,  at  any  time,  by  any 
responsible  person,  by  calling  upon  me. 

[Signed]         REUBEN  STANLEY. 

STATE  OF  TEXAS, 
SHOTTSVILLE,  DELEFERO  COUNTY, 
S.S.  April  1,  1877. 

Then  personally  appeared  before  me  the  said  Reuben 
Stanley,  to  me  well  known,  and  made  oath  that  the  above 
deposition  made  by  him  is  true. 

[Signed]         RICHARD  HTLLANDIER, 

Justice  of  the  Peace. 


PEESEVEEANCE  ISLAND; 


THE    ROBINSON    CRUSOE    OF    THE    NINE 
TEENTH  CENTURY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Boyhood  and  youth  of  the  author.  Sailor's  life.  The  "Good  Luck." 
South  Pacific  Island  scheme.  Loss  of  crew  off  Cape  Horn. 

I  WAS  born  in  the  year  1833,  in  the  State  of  Vermont, 
United  States  of  America,  and  at  an  early  age  lost  both 
parents  by  that  fearful  scourge,  the  small-pox.  I  was  an 
only  child,  and  upon  the  death  of  my  parents,  which  hap 
pened  when  I  was  about  six  years  of  age,  I  was  taken 
charge  of  by  a  friendly  farmer  of  a  neighboring  town,  who 
put  me  to  school  for  several  years  in  the  winter,  and  at 
work  upon  the  farm  in  the  summer.  I  had  no  known 
relatives  in  the  wide  world,  and  often  felt  the  bitter  pangs 
of  orphanhood.  My  master  was  not,  however,  unkind, 
and  I  grew  up  strong,  robust,  and  with  rather  a  retiring, 
quiet  disposition,  with  a  great  love  of  mechanics  and 
tools.  Under  all  this  quietness,  however,  lurked,  I  well 
knew  myself,  an  unappeasable  love  of  adventure  and 

3 


4  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

enterprise.  I  loved  to  lie  in  the  open  fields  at  night 
under  the  full  moon ;  to  explore  swamps  and  brooks ;  and 
I  soon  learned  to  swim  in  the  pond  near  by.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  I  left  my  master,  with  his  consent,  and  went 
to  work  in  a  neighboring  machine-shop,  where  castings, 
etc.,  were  made.  I  loved  all  manner  of  mechanical  tools 
and  instruments,  and  evidently  had  a  taste  in  that  direc 
tion.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  I  became  restless,  and,  having 
read  during  leisure  hours  many  books  of  adventure  and 
discovery,  I  took  it  into  my  silly  head  to  become  a  sailor, 
and  upon  the  inspiration  of  a  moment  I  packed  up  my 
small  bundle  of  clothes,  and,  bidding  good-by  to  my 
workmates,  started  out  on  foot  for  Portsmouth,  N.  H. 
I  arrived  there  and  shipped  as  green  hand  in  the  schooner 
"  Rosa  Belle  "  for  Boston,  at  which  port  we  in  due  season 
arrived.  From  thence  I  shipped  again  before  the  mast 
in  a  large,  square-rigged  vessel  for  a  voyage  round  the 
world.  It  is  not  my  intention  here  to  give  a  detailed 
account  of  my  adventurous  life  till  I  joined  the  "  Good 
Luck ; "  suffice  it  to  say  that  during  fourteen  years  at  sea 
I  passed  through  all  the  grades  of  boy,  seaman,  able 
seaman,  boatswain,  third  mate,  second  mate,  and  first 
mate.  It  was  after  my  discharge  from  a  large  clipper 
ship  in  Liverpool,  lately  arrived  from  China,  in  the  latter 
capacity,  that,  having  some  few  hundred  dollars  by  me, 
I  began  to  look  about  to  see  if  I  could  not  gain  a  liveli 
hood  in  some  easier  way  than  by  going  to  sea,  being  by 
this  time  heartily  tired  of  the  life,  and  for  want  of  friends 


THE   SCHOONER   GOOD   LUCK.  5 

and  relations  with  little  chance  of  rising  higher  in  the 
profession ;  it  was  at  this  time,  I  say,  that  this  cursed 
project  of  the  "  Good  Luck  "  was  brought  to  my  attention. 
As  fate  would  have  it,  the  schooner  lay  in  the  same  dock 
with  ourselves,  and  I  became  interested  in  her  by  hearing 
the  talk  upon  the  dock  that  she  was  bound  to  the  South 
Pacific  Islands  to  seek  for  pearls,  sandal  wood,  tortoise- 
shell,  etc.,  and  to  establish  a  colony  of  which  the  persons 
who  were  going  out  on  this  trip  were  the  advance  guard 
and  projectors.  I  remember  now,  oh!  how  sadly,  the 
Utopian  ideas  that  were  advanced,  and  although  I,  as  a 
sailor  in  those  seas,  knew  many  of  them  to  be  false,  yet 
imagination  proclaimed  them  true.  I  could  not  resist  the 
impulse  to  join  my  fortune  to  theirs.  Having  made  up 
my  mind,  I  called  upon  the  chief  movers  in  the  matter  and 
offered  my  services.  It  was  first  a  question  with  them 
whether  I  could  subscribe  any  money  to  the  project,  and 
secondly,  what  position  I  desired  in  the  adventure? 

I  satisfied  them  upon  the  former,  by  stating  that  if 
I  was  pleased  with  their  plans  I  could  subscribe  four 
hundred  dollars  in  cash,  and  my  services  as  a  seaman  and 
navigator  in  those  seas.  This  seemed  very  satisfactory, 
and  I  was  then  asked,  more  pointedly,  what  position  I 
demanded.  I  said  that  I  should  be  satisfied  with  the 
position  of  chief  officer,  and  second  in  command  on  board 
of  the  schooner,  and  fourth  in  command  on  the  island  as 
concerned  the  colony,  —  that  is  to  say,  if  their  plans 
suited  me,  which  I  demanded  to  know  fully  before  sign- 


6  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

ing  any  papers  and  bound  myself  by  oath  not  to  disclose 
if,  after  hearing  and  seeing  everything,  I  declined  to  join 
them. 

This  straightforward  course  seemed  to  please  the  man 
agers,  and  I  was  put  in  full  possession  of  all  their  plans, 
and  immediately  after  signed  the  papers. 

It  is  sufficient  for  me  to  give  an  outline  of  this  plan 
simply,  which,  through  the  act  of  God,  came  to  naught, 
and  left  me,  a  second  Robinson  Crusoe,  on  my  lonely 
island. 

The  company  was  formed  of  one  hundred  persons,  who 
each  put  in  one  hundred  pounds  to  make  a  general 
capita],  —  except  a  few  like  myself,  who  were  allowed 
a  full  paid-up  share  for  eighty  pounds,  on  account  of 
being  of  the  advance  guard,  and  wages  for  our  services 
according  to  our  station,  with  our  proportionate  part  of 
the  dividends  to  be  hereafter  made. 

With  this  fund  paid  in,  amounting  to  about  nine  thou 
sand  eight  hundred  pounds,  the  managing  committee  pur 
chased  the  schooner  "  Good  Luck."  She  was  a  fore-top 
sail  schooner,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  tons  mea 
surement,  built  in  Bath,  Maine,  and  about  seven  years 
old,  —  strong,  well  built,  sharp,  and  with  a  flush  deck 
fore  and  aft.  She  cost  two  thousand  four  hundred 
pounds.  The  remainder  of  the  money  was  used  in 
purchasing  the  following  outfit  for  the  scheme  we  were 
engaged  in :  — 

Four  breech-loading  Armstrong  cannon,  nine  pounders, 


THE    VOYAGE    BEGUN.  7 

four  old-fashioned  nine-pounders,  twenty-five  Sharpe's 
breech-loading  rifles,  and  twenty-five  navy  Colt's  revol 
vers,  with  plenty  of  ammunition  for  all.  These,  in  con 
junction  with  boarding-pikes,  cutlasses,  hand-grenades, 
and  a  howitzer  for  the  launch,  comprised  our  armament. 
The  hold  was  stored  with  a  little  of  everything  generally 
taken  on  such  adventures, — knives,  hatchets,  and  calico 
for  the  natives,  and  seeds,  canned  meats,  and  appliances 
for  pearl  fishing,  house-building,  etc.,  for  ourselves.  To 
these  were  added  a  sawmill,  an  upright  steam-engine, 
a  turning-lathe,  blacksmith  tools,  etc. 

Our  plan  was  to  find  an  island  uninhabited,  that  would 
form  a  good  centre  from  which  to  prosecute  our  purpose 
of  pearl  gathering,  and  to  there  establish  a  colony,  send 
ing  home  the  "  Good  Luck  "  for  the  rest  of  our  compan 
ions  and  their  families. 

Ten  of  us  were  chosen  as  the  advance  guard  (all  but 
three  being  sailors),  to  make  the  first  venture,  establish 
the  colony,  load  the  schooner,  leave  part  of  our  force 
upon  the  island  selected,  and  the  remainder  to  bring  back 
the  schooner  to  Liverpool.  "  Man  proposes,  but  God 
disposes." 

On  July  31,  1865,  we  set  sail  upon  this  disastrous 
voyage,  and  from  that  day  to  this  have  I  never  seen 
the  faces  of  civilized  beings  except  those  on  board  of  the 
schooner,  and  not  those  for  many  months.  Our  captain 
was  a  fine,  manly  fellow,  of  about  eight  and  thirty  years 
of  age,  and  we  all  liked  him.  Duty  on  board  was  of 


8  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

course  different  than  it  would  have  been  in  a  common 
vessel ;  and  although  we  had  watches  and  regular  disci 
pline,  each  was  familiar  with  the  other,  having,  as  we  had, 
an  equal  stake  in  the  adventure. 

We  had  a  tough  time  off  Cape  Horn,  and,  although 
the  "  Good  Luck  "  behaved  well,  it  was  here  that  we  met 
with  our  first  misfortune.  In  stowing  the  jib,  in  a  gale 
of  wind,  preparatory  to  laying-to,  three  men  were  swept 
overboard,  and  we  never  saw  them  more.  This  cast  a 
damper  upon  the  remaining  seven,  and  was  but  a  pre 
cursor  of  what  was  yet  to  happen.  We  rounded  Cape 
Horn  the  first  part  of  October,  and,  steering  northwest, 
soon  reached  more  pleasant  weather.  Our  course  was 
towards  the  group  of  islands,  so  well  known  in  the  South 
Pacific,  called  the  Society  Islands. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Push  forward  for  the  Society  Islands.  Driven  into  Magellan  Straits  by 
stress  of  weather.  Anchor  in  a  land-locked  bay.  Search  for  fresh  water. 
Attacked  by  savages.  Serious  injuries  to  Capt.  Davis  and  one  of  the  crew. 
Return  to  the  schooner  and  make  sail  for  the  open  ocean.  Resolve  to  return 
to  England.  Finally  lay  our  course  for  Easter  Island. 

WE  had  proceeded  but  a  very  short  way  towards  the 
Society  Islands  when  a  terrific  storm  arose  from  the  west 
ward,  driving  us  back  upon  the  coast  of  South  America. 
We  lay  to  for  many  days,  bending  down  before  the 
blast,  and  drifting  all  the  time  rapidly  to  the  southward 
and  eastward  ;  till  one  morning  we  discovered  land  broad 
off  our  lee  beam,  and,  by  a  forenoon  observation  which  the 
captain  obtained,  we  found  that  we  were  off  the  western 
opening  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and  we  soon  put  the 
schooner's  head  before  the  howling  blast  and  ran  in  for 
shelter,  rest,  and  repairs.  We  came  up  with  the  land 
very  rapidly  under  easy  sail,  and  passed  the  frowning  cliffs 
and  rocks  on  our  port  hand,  not  over  a  mile  distant,  as  we 
knew  we  had  plenty  of  water  and  to  spare.  After  having 
passed  the  opening  we  hauled  the  schooner  up  on  the  port 
tack,  heading  her  well  up  to  the  northward,  intending  to 
find  some  quiet  land-locked  cove  where  we  could  anchor 
and  repair  the  damages  —  small  in  detail,  but  quite  grave 

9 


10  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

in  the  aggregate  —  that  we  had  received  in  our  buffeting 
of  the  last  ten  days. 

About  eight  bells  in  the  forenoon  we  found  ourselves 
well  inside  the  land,  and  with  a  smooth  sea  and  a  good 
fair  working  breeze,  we  kept  the  land  well  on  the  port 
beam  and  gradually  crawled  in  toward  it. 

At  about  4  P.  M.  we  estimated  that  we  were  twenty 
miles  inside  the  headlands,  and  having  come  to  an  arm 
of  a  bay  trending  well  to  the  northward,  we  hauled  the 
schooner  sharp  on  a  wind  and  steered  into  it ;  we  dis 
covered  soon  that  it  was  about  ten  miles  deep  and  thirty 
wide  as  near  as  we  could  judge ;  and  as  we  came  toward 
the  head  of  the  bay  we  found  that  we  could  run  into  a 
small  inner  bay  of  about  three  miles  in  area,  with  evidently 
smooth  water  and  good  anchorage.  Into  this  inner  bay 
or  anchorage  wre  quietly  sailed  and  let  go  an  anchor  in 
six  fathoms  of  water,  and  at  a  distance  of  about  one  mile 
from  the  shore. 

When  the  sails  were  all  properly  furled,  and  everything 
put  in  "  ship-shape  and  Bristol  fashion,"  as  the  saying  is 
amongst  sailors,  wre  had  time  to  look  about  us ;  and  the 
motion  of  the  vessel  having  ceased,  and  the  creaking  of 
the  masts  and  cordage,  the  flapping  of  the  sails,  and  the 
usual  noises  of  the  sea,  having  come  to  an  end,  we  were 
struck  with  the  awful  and  sublime  solitude  of  our  sur 
roundings.  By  this  time  the  moon  had  risen,  and  by  its 
light  we  saw  the  shadowy  shapes  of  monstrous  cliffs  and 
miniature  headlands  covered  with  tangled  forests  of  a 


AT  ANCHOR   IN   MAGELLAN   STRAITS.  11 

species  of  pine,  mirrored  in  the  little  bay  in  which  we 
hung  at  anchor ;  but  not  one  sound  of  life,  no  lights  on 
shore,  no  cry  of  bird  or  beast,  but  the  depressing,  awful 
solitude  of  an  unknown  land ;  no  noise  except  the  grace 
ful  rise  of  the  "  Good  Luck  "  to  the  miniature  waves  of  the 
bay  as  she  lay  at  anchor  with  twenty  fathoms  of  chain 
out.  We  all  spoke  in  whispers,  so  awe-striking  was  the 
scenery,  and  when  we  set  the  anchor  watch  and  turned  in 
it  was  unanimously  conceded  that  we  had  little  to  fear  in 
landing  on  the  morrow  either  from  natives  or  wild  beasts. 
Glad  enough  were  we,  after  our  long  fight  with  the 
stormy  ocean,  to  turn  into  our  berths.  It  was  chilly, 
although  now  past  the  middle  of  October,  yet  we  saw  no 
snow  upon  the  ground,  and  the  air  had  the  smell  of  spring 
and  verdure.  This  was  easily  accounted  for  when  we 
remembered  that  in  reality  we  were  in  the  latter  part 
of  April  as  to  seasons,  and  that  we  were  no  further  south, 
than  Great  Britain  is  north,  as  concerns  latitude.  No 
doubt,  also,  the  climate  was  favorably  affected  by  this 
great  arm  of  salt  water  penetrating  the  land.  At  any 
rate  we  had  nothing  to  complain  of  on  the  score  of  ice 
and  snow,  w^hich  we  should  have  found  in  plenty  had  we 
arrived  a  month  or  two  earlier.  Our  captain  had  some 
very  good  traits,  and  was  very  systematic.  For  instance, 
he  said  that  he  would  never  allow  a  boat  to  leave  the 
vessel  to  visit  the  shore,  to  be  gone  even  an  hour,  without 
being  properly  rationed,  and  with  flint,  steel,  and  tinder, 
and  also  two  large  tin  canisters  tilled  with  garden  seeds. 


12  PEKSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

He  had  a  hobby  that  it  was  our  duty  to  plant  seeds  in  all 
of  the  out-of-the-way  places  that  we  visited,  for  the  good 
of  those  who  might  come  after  us.  Carrying  out  these 
ideas,  he  had  had  our  whaleboat  on  deck  —  whilst  we 
were  running  by  the  land  —  righted  and  filled  with  the 
above-named  articles,  ready  for  use  in  the  morning;  that 
is  to  say,  he  had  ordered  to  be  put  on  board  of  her  cooked 
rations  for  six  days  for  four  men,  two  breakers  of  fresh 
water,  one  bag  of  hard  tack,  a  compass,  two  large  tin 
canisters  with  water-tight  screw-heads,  filled  with  peas, 
beans,  cucumber  seeds,  one  hatchet,  one  knife,  and  a  spare 
coil  of  rope. 

The  next  morning,  when  we  arose,  there  was  a  general 
desire  to  land  upon  the  unknown  coast,  and  we  bethought 
ourselves  of  the  plan  of  drawing  lots  to  see  who  should 
stay  on  board  and  who  go  ashore,  as  the  vessel  would 
need  the  care  of  at  least  three  hands,  leaving  four  of  us 
to  go  in  the  boat.  Lots  were  drawn,  and  the  privilege 
of  going  in  the  boat  fell  upon  Captain  Davis,  two  of  the 
sailors,  and  myself.  I  was  overjoyed  at  the  opportunity 
of  exploring  this  new  world.  Captain  Davis  told  us  to 
arm  ourselves  well  with  rifles  and  revolvers,  and  to  be  in 
readiness  to  start  after  breakfast,  sharp. 

No  pleasanter  party  ever  shoved  off  from  a  vessel's  side 
than  we  on  that  pleasant  October  morning.  We  soon 
reached  the  shore,  and,  pulling  up  the  boat  upon  the  beach, 
were  soon  roaming  here  and  there,  stretching  our  legs 
and  enjoying  the  novelty  of  our  position.  It  was  evident 


SEARCHING   FOB   WATER.  13 

that  the  place  was  a  complete  solitude,  and  we  doubted 
if  any  civilized  persons  had  ever  visited  the  shores  of  the 
bay  before. 

We  wanted  most  of  all  things  a  supply  of  fresh  water, 
and  to  this  end  we  wandered  somewhat  apart  and  towards 
the  upper  part  of  the  bay,  concealed  by  over  jetting  cliffs, 
to  see  if  there  was  not  some  stream  or  river  flowing  into 
it.  After  a  little  we  heard  a  cry  of  delight  from  a  com 
rade  in  advance,  and  hastening  toward  him  found  that 
after  turning  a  short  and  abrupt  point  of  rocks,  a  river  of 
some  considerable  width  lay  before  our  eyes,  evidently 
navigable  with  a  small  boat  for  some  miles,  but,  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  extend,  no  sign  of  any  habitation.  We  ran 
gayly  back  to  the  boat,  launched  her,  and  soon  pulled 
round  the  overhanging  cliff  that  had  concealed  the  pres 
ence  of  the  river  from  us. 

I  should  judge  that  we  had  pulled  some  five  or  six 
miles  when  we  began  to  get  hungry,  and  thought  by  the 
sun  that  it  was  about  noon,  and  that  we  would  land  and 
eat  our  dinner.  Up  to  this  time  we  had  found  no  side 
brook  or  spring  entering  the  main  river,  and  each  turn 
was  so  enticing  that  we  kept  on  passing  bend  after  bend. 

We  landed  upon  a  nice  sandy  beach,  and  soon  had  a 
pot  boiling,  and  some  clams,  of  which  there  were  vast 
quantities  in  the  sand,  cooking  upon  hot  stones.  We 
made  a  capital  meal,  and  after  a  good  smoke  took  our 
oars  again  and  went  on  up  the  river.  Shall  I  ever  forget 
the  ending  of  that  pleasant  day?  As  we  were  chatting 


14  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

and  passing  a  bend,  and  opening  a  new  reacn,  in  one 
moment  of  time  our  ears  were  filled  with  awful  shrieks 
and  shouts,  and  we  had  become  the  centre  of  a  perfect 
shower  of  missiles  from  the  cliff  underneath  the  base  of 
which  we  had  just  passed. 

Our  first  instinct  was  to  drop  our  oars  and  grasp  the 
firearms,  and  a  dropping,  irregular  fire  into  the  bushes  at 
the  foot  of  the  bend  and  towards  the  higher  cliff  towering 
above  us  brought  to  a  sudden  cessation  the  shower  of 
stones  with  which  we  had  been  assailed,  and  with  wild 
cries  of  fear,  pain,  and  awe  these  untutored  savages  fled 
into  the  dense  forest  behind  them. 

I  was  amazed  at  the  ease  with  which  we  had  repelled 
them,  until  I  bethought  me  that  probably  our  firearms 
were  the  first  they  had  ever  heard.  I  wondered  why  we 
had  not  fired  more,  and  quicker,  and  turning  my  eyes 
from  their  disappearing  bodies,  I  saw,  with  horror,  the 
cause.  Captain  Davis  lay  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  boat 
with  a  large  stone  across  both  legs,  dropped  evidently 
from  the  cliff,  which  was  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above 
us,  upon  them.  He  had  fainted  away,  or  else  was  dead 
from  some  other  wound,  for  he  did  not  offer  to  stir  or 
remove  the  stone.  I  glanced  towards  my  other  two 
comrades,  and  found,  upon  examination,  one  with  a  seri 
ous  fracture  of  the  left  arm,  which,  however,  did  not  pre 
vent  his  holding  on  to  his  revolver  in  a  most  determined 
manner,  and  the  other  with  only  a  few  slight  bruises. 
I  beckoned  him  to  come  aft  and  help  lift  the  stone 


CAPTAIN  DAVIS   WOUNDED.  —  PAGE  14. 


ESCAPE   FROM  THE   SAVAGES.  15 

off  the  captain's  legs,  we  did  so,  and  threw  water  in  his 
face  to  revive  him  We  dared  not  imagine  how  bad  his 
injuries  were,  and  left  him  lying  as  we  found  him,  after 
throwing  overboard  the  stone,  which  undoubtedly  would 
have  gone  through  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  sunk  us, 
if  it  had  not  encountered  the  tegs  of  the  captain  in  its 
descent.  As  for  our  other  comrade,  we  bound  up  his  arm 
as  best  we  could.  I  felt  dizzy  and  weak,  but  did  not  sus 
pect  any  serious  injury.  All  that  I  have  written  was 
performed  quickly,  as  sailors  always  act  in  an  emergency. 
Bill  Thompson  and  I  soon  got  the  boat's  head  pointed 
down  stream,  and  the  way  we  pulled  for  the  ship  was  a 
sight  to  behold;  pausing  once  in  awhile  to  lift  a  hand 
and  explode  a  revolver  to  keep  the  savages  from  attack 
ing  us  again ;  but  they  had  evidently  had  enough  of  it, 
for  we  saw  no  signs  of  them,  and  after  a  long  and  arduous 
pull  we  came  to  the  ship's  side,  and  sad  was  the  news 
that  we  had  for  our  comrades.  We  slung  the  boat  and 
hoisted  her  on  board,  and  I  ordered  the  anchor  to  be 
weighed  at  once,  and  we  set  sail  from  this  treacherous 

o  " 

bay.  It  was  found  upon  examination  that  one  of  the  cap 
tain's  legs  was  broken,  evidently  a  compound  fracture, 
and  the  other  much  bruised  and  inflamed.  He  was  car 
ried  with  care  and  affection  to  his  stateroom,  and  I  took 
charge  of  the  deck.  The  sailor's  arm  was  found  to  be  a 
simple  fracture,  and  we  soon  had  it  in  splints  and  himself 
in  his  berth.  After  the  schooner  was  fairly  under  way 
and  heading  out  of  the  bay,  I  went  below  to  my  state- 


16  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

room,  and  found  that  I  had  received  several  severe  blows, 
but  none  that  had  drawn  blood,  except  in  the  back  of  my 
head,  where  I  found  the  hair  under  my  cap  bloody  and 
matted  together.  This  it  was  that  had  made  me  dizzy, 
although  my  excitement  had  been  so  great  that  I  could 
not  fix  where  the  pain  was  till  all  was  over.  I  washed 
myself,  and  went  on  deck  again,  to  remain  there  during 
the  night  and  run  the  schooner  out  into  the  open  sea. 
What  thoughts  passed  through  my  brain  as  the  little 
vessel  gallantly  slipped  along  by  the  land,  towards  the 
ocean !  —  what  in  the  world  were  we  to  do  should  Cap 
tain  Davis  die,  and  where  were  we  to  recruit,  for  dur 
ing  the  long  watches  of  that  night  it  was  agreed  that 
we  had  become  too  short  handed  to  prosecute  our  enter 
prise,  and  that  the  best  thing  that  we  could  do  would  be 
to  make  our  way  back  to  England  and  start  afresh ;  but 
after  a  long  consultation,  it  was  acknowledged  that  we 
were  in  no  condition  to  face  Cape  Horn,  and  that  we 
must  get  somewhere  to  recruit  before  we  dare  attempt 
the  passage  home.  The  captain,  who  had  his  senses  per 
fectly,  although  suffering  bodily  pain,  said  "  that  we  must 
make  one  of  the  easterly  of  the  Society  Islands  before 
attempting  to  go  home,  and  there  recruit  ourselves,  over 
haul  the  vessel,  and  by  that  time  he  should  know  what  he 
was  to  expect  of  his  own  health,  but  feared  that  his  in 
juries  were  beyond  mortal  aid."  Towards  morning  the 
open  sea  appeared  ahead,  and  at  about  eight  bells,  we 
issued  from  the  mouth  of  Magellan  Straits,  and  I  laid  the 


BOUND   TO   EASTER    ISLAND.  17 

course  of  the  schooner  northwest,  so  as  to  hit  Easter 
Island,  or  some  of  the  islands  further  to  the  westward 
should  the  wind  haul.  At  two  bells  in  the  forenoon  we 
were  bowling  along  on  our  course  with  everything  set, 
and  a  fine  working  breeze  from  north-northeast,  and  a 
smooth  sea.  Of  course  we  talked  over  the  disastrous 
trip  of  the  day  before,  and,  as  in  all  such  cases,  wondered 
why  we  did  not  do  so  and  so,  and  why  we  were  not  more 
careful,  etc.,  but  to  what  good.  The  deed  was  done: 
our  comrade  with  his  broken  arm,  and  our  captain  with 
his  broken  leg,  were  mute  reminders  of  our  folly  and 
carelessness.  My  greatest  fear  at  this  time  was  that  we 
should  lose  the  captain,  and  that  his  duties  would  devolve 
upon  me.  He  seemed  throughout  this  day  slightly  better, 
but  upon  examination  we  found  that  we  could  not  set  his 
leg  as  we  had  the  sailor's  arm,  and  that,  although  he  com 
plained  of  little  pain,  his  leg  had  a  puffed  and  swollen  ap 
pearance,  and  I  feared  the  worst.  I  was  somewhat  in  favor 
of  changing  the  course  and  making  a  port  on  the  South 
American  coast ;  but  the  captain  would  not  hear  of  it. 
He  said  "  you  can  at  least  get  to  the  Society  Islands  and 
land  your  cargo  in  some  port  under  some  flag  where  it 
will  be  safely  kept  till  you  return  to  England  for  a  new 
crew.  "  I  shall  not  get  well  any  sooner,  if  at  all,  on  the 
South  American  coast  than  I  shall  in  the  Society  Islands. 
We  are  bound  by  honor  to  push  the  adventure  to  its 
legitimate  end,  or  as  near  it  as  possible."  This  and  many 
other  convincing  things  were  uttered  by  him.  "If  my 


18  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

leg  should  have  been  amputated  it  should  have  been  done 
before  this ;  and  it  will  be  too  late  to  do  anything  at 
Santiago  as  well  as  at  Easter  Island.  You  can  still  do  a 
great  deal  towards  making  the  adventure  a  success;  per 
haps  you  can  even  get  volunteers  enough  in  the  islands  to 
fill  up  your  ranks,  so  as  not  to  have  to  go  back  to  England 
till  you  have  your  headquarters  established  and  a  cargo 
ready  to  ship  back."  And  thus  this  sick  and  dying  man 
cheered  us  on. 

The  end  of  the  day  found  us  with  a  still  fresh  working 
breeze  headed  for  Easter  Island. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Captain  Davis's  condition.  Only  five  men  fit  for  duty.  Terrific  storm. 
The  schooner  thrown  on  her  beam  ends  and  dismasted.  Loss  of  three  more 
of  the  crew.  Taking  to  the  whale-boat.  Foundering  of  the  schooner  "  Good 
Luck."  Death  of  Captain  Davis.  Storm  again,  running  to  the  southward 
before  the  tempest.  Strike  upon  a  reef.  The  author  cast  on  shore. 

THE  next  fifteen  or  twenty  clays  passed  over  us  without 
anything  material  interfering  with  our  advancement  to 
wards  the  islands. 

During  this  time  the  change  in  the  condition  of  Captain 
Davis  had  become  worse ;  and  we  could  all  see  that  he  was 
failing  surely  but  rapidly ;  the  sailor  with  the  broken  arm,  on 
the  other  hand,  was  every  day  gaining  strength  and  health, 
and  bid  fair  to  be  soon  amongst  us  again  and  at  work. 
Bill  Thompson  and  myself  had  fully  recovered  from  the 
bruises  and  blows  that  we  had  received,  and  were  in  ex 
cellent  health. 

The  duty  at  this  time  was  rather  exhaustive,  as  there 
were  only  five  of  us,  including  myself,  fit  for  duty,  and 
our  turn  at  the  wheel  came  about  pretty  often,  as  AVC, 
being  so  short-handed,  had  each  to  take  our  "trick." 
Our  vessel  was  small,  to  be  sure,  and  easily  handled,  but 
reduced,  as  we  were,  to  five  men,  it  was  no  boy's  play  to 

manage  her. 

19 


20  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

In  the  first  place,  it  needed  a  man  at  the  helm  night  and 
day ;  then  there  was  the  cooking  to  be  taken  charge  of ; 
and  at  night  the  lookout  man  on  the  forecastle ;  these  were 
three  imperative  duties  which  admitted  of  no  change  or 
neglect,  and,  divided  amongst  five  persons,  and  including 
the  watches  at  night,  gave  us  plenty  to  do  and  to  think  of. 

On  November  5  we  went  about  our  usual  duties  in  the 
morning,  washing  down  the  decks,  and  making  everything 
snug  and  cleanly,  as  seamen  like  to  see  things.  At  noon 
I  was  able  to  get  a  good  observation  of  the  sun,  which 
gave  us  lat.  40°  39'  12"  S.,  and  longitude  by  two  forenoon 
observations  by  chronometer,  112°  5'  54"  W.  from  Green 
wich.  The  wind  had  for  the  last  two  weeks  steadily 
hauled  ahead,  and  we  had  been  close-hauled  and  often  un 
able  to  lay  our  course,  hence  I  found  the  schooner  much 
too  far  to  the  southward,  but  with  her  longitude  well  run 
down,  and  it  was  my  purpose  to  decrease  our  latitude, 
even  if  we  had  to  stand  on  the  other  tack  to  the  north 
ward  and  eastward.  We  were  about  fifteen  hundred  miles 
to  the  westward  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  which  was 
not  a  bad  run  for  a  small  vessel  of  the  size  of  the  "  Good 
Luck ; "  especially  when  it  was  to  be  remembered  that  we 
had  also  made  several  degrees  (about  ten)  of  northing,  in 
latitude. 

The  afternoon  shut  down  cloudy  and  threatening,  and 
I  hastened  to  the  cabin  to  consult  the  barometer ;  I  found 
no  great  change,  but  marked  it  with  the  side  regulator,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  see  if  there  was  any  sudden  change  within 


PREPARING   FOR   THE   STORM.  21 

the  next  hour  or  two.  At  about  eight  bells  (4  p.  M.)  the 
wind  shifted  suddenly  to  about  N.  N.  W.,  and  then  died 
away  and  left  us  bobbing  about  in  a  heavy  cross-sea,  with 
dark,  dirty  weather  to  the  northward  and  westward,  but 
with  little  or  no  wind. 

I  examined  the  barometer  again,  and  to  my  dismay  saw 
that  the  mercury  had  fallen  rapidly  since  my  last  visit. 
Everything  about  us  showed  that  we  were  about  to  catch 
it,  and  although  I  knew  that  we  were  out  of  the  track  of 
typhoons  and  cyclones,  still  we  were  evidently  about  to 
experience  a  heavy  gale  of  wind ;  the  admonitions  of  na 
ture  were  too  evident  and  palpable  to  be  misunderstood. 
I  called  all  hands,  and  we  went  to  work  with  a  will  to  put 
the  schooner  in  order  for  the  coming  blast. 

We  soon  had  the  foretopsail  lowered  on  the  cap,  close 
reefed,  and  then  furled  to  the  yard.  We  then  took  two 
reefs  in  the  mainsail,  and  reefed  and  then  stowed  the  fore 
sail  ;  got  the  bonnet  off  the  jib,  and  the  outer  jib  furled. 
Under  this  short  sail  we  awaited  the  coming  of  the  inevi 
table.  First,  the  day  grew  darker,  and  was  overcast  with 
clouds  of  inky  blackness ;  then  came  the  mysterious  sob 
bing  and  moaning  of  the  ocean  that  all  sailors  have  expe 
rienced  ;  then  the  jerky  and  uneven  motion  of  the  schooner 
on  the  heavy  swells  for  want  of  enough  wind  to  keep  her 
canvas  full  and  herself  steady. 

Finally,  towards  evening,  the  pent-up  storm  came  madly 
down  upon  us  from  the  N.  N.  W.,  where  it  had  been  so 
long  gathering  its  strength  and  forces.  We  laid  the 


22  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

schooner's  head  to  the  westward  and  awaited  the  blast. 
Oh !  if  we  only  could  have  had  wind  enough  to  have  got 
ten  steerage-way  upon  her,  so  as  to  have  luffed  up  into 
the  howling  blast,  I  might  have  been  spared  writing  this 
narrative ;  but  lying,  as  we  were,  almost  dead  upon  the 
waste  of  water,  we  were  compelled  to  receive  the  blast  in 
all  its  strength,  not  being  able  to  yield  an  atom  to  it.  We 
had  done  all  that  men  could  do,  except  to  await  the  result 
and  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God.  I  do  not  think  that  there 
was  very  much  fear  as  to  the  result ;  there  was  a  certain 
anxiety,  however ;  but  sailors  never  believe  that  wind  or 
sea  can  hurt  them  till  it  does  so.  We  expected  to  be 
struck  hard,  and  to  suffer  some  damage ;  but  I  think  no 
one  on  board  of  that  schooner  had  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
shock  that  we  were  about  to  receive.  As  the  storm,  or 
rather  advance  whirlwind,  approached,  we  took  our  differ 
ent  stations  and  awaited  the  result.  It  came  upon  us  with 
a  crash,  and  in  spite  of  all  our  care  and  skill  the  foretop- 
mast  went  over  the  side,  followed  by  the  jibboom  and 
maintopmast,  as  if  the  whole  fabric  had  been  made  of 
paper,  and  the  schooner  was  thrown  violently  upon  her 
beam-ends.  We  lowered  away  the  mainsail  halyards,  and, 
by  cutting  away  the  wreck  to  leeward,  finally  got  her 
head  before  the  wind,  when  she  righted,  and  we  dashed 
off  before  the  tempest  with  nothing  set  but  the  jib,  the 
mainsail  having  blown  out  of  the  bolt-ropes.  Black  night 
shut  down  upon  us  like  a  pall,  and  sheets  of  rain  and  spray 
fell  upon  us  in  torrents ;  thunder  and  lightning  played  about 


RUNNING   BEFORE  THE   GALE.  23 

us,  lighting  up  the  decks  one  moment  as  bright  as  noon 
day,  and  the  next  leaving  us  in  the  most  intense  dark 
ness,  with  a  feeling  about  the  eyes  as  if  they  had  been 
burned  up  in  their  sockets.  After  the  "  Good  Luck  "  once 
got  started  she  did  pretty  well,  scudding  before  it,  but  the 
forward  sail  was  too  small  for  the  tremendous  sea  getting 
up  astern  of  us ;  and  we  were  in  deadly  peril  of  being 
pooped,  and  feared  it  each  moment.  We  could  set  no 
square  sail,  everything  forward  above  the  foretop  having 
been  carried  away ;  and  we  had  no  means  of  hoisting  the 
foresail,  even  if  we  had  dared  to  set  it,  as  the  peak-halyards 
had  been  carried  away  with  the  fall  of  the  topmast,  and 
we  could  not  repair  them ;  so  all  we  could  do  was  to  fas 
ten  down  the  companion-way  and  trust  to  luck  in  letting 
her  run  before  it  under  the  jib.  I  thought  that  I  had 
seen  it  blow  before,  but  such  a  gale  as  this  I  never  expe 
rienced  ;  the  voice  of  the  tempest  howled  so  through  the 
rigging  that  you  could  not  hear  the  faintest  sound  of  the 
human  voice  in  its  loudest  tones.  I  stood  at  the  wheel, 
after  helping  to  cut  away  the  wreck,  aiding  the  man  at 
the  helm  through  that  long  and  awful  night.  We  lashed 
ourselves  to  the  rail  and  rudder-head ;  and  well  was  it  that 
we  did  so,  for  we  were  repeatedly  pooped,  and  large  masses 
of  water  came  in  over  the  stern,  and  rushed  forward  over 
the  decks,  that  would  have  carried  us  to  a  watery  grave 
if  we  had  not  been  lashed  to  our  post.  My  comrade  Bill 
Thompson  and  I  had  no  means  of  knowing  whether  the 
others  forward  had  fared  as  well  as  we,  or  had  been  swept 
overboard  by  the  repeated  invasions  of  the  sea. 


24  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

Before  we  had  been  able  to  cut  clear  from  the  wreck  we 
had  received  several  severe  blows  from  the  timbers  along 
side,  how  severe  I  had  no  means  of  judging  as  yet,  but 
my  great  fear  was  that  we  had  started  a  butt  or  been  seri 
ously  injured  by  these  floating  spars  before  we  had  been 
able  to  get  rid  of  them. 

About  two  bells  (1  A.  M.)  as  near  as  we  could  judge, 
the  thunder  and  lightning  ceased ;  and  the  puffs  of  wind 
were  less  and  less  violent,  so  that  it  was  easy  for  us  to 
feel  confident  that  the  strength  of  the  gale  had  passed 
us.  At  eight  bells  (4  A.  M.)  there  was  a  great  difference 
both  in  the  sea  and  wind ;  the  former  was  no  longer  to 
be  feared,  and  the  latter  was  fast  dying  out.  With 
what  anxiety  did  we  watch  for  the  first  light  of  day, — 
hours  of  agony  unknown  to  those  who  have  never  led  a 
sailor's  life.  As  the  gray  of  the  morning  began  to  come 
upon  us,  both  wind  and  sea  abated  more  and  more,  till 
in  the  full  light  of  the  morning  we  lay  a  dismantled 
wreck  upon  the  waste  of  waters,  with  scarcely  wind 
enough  for  a  fair  topsail  breeze,  and  the  seas  momentarily 
going  down. 

My  first  care  was  to  rush  into  the  cabin,  and  to  the 
locker,  and  pounce  upon  some  food,  and  my  next  to  carry 
some  to  my  companion  at  the  wheel.  After  this  I  looked 
around  me  to  take  in  our  situation.  The  foremast  was 
gone  near  the  head,  the  foreyard  had  evidently  parted  in 
the  slings,  and  the  foretopmast,  topsail,  and  hamper,  all 
gone  together  over  the  port  bow. 


EFFECTS    OF    THE   STORM.  25 

Bill  Thompson  and  I  both  strained  our  eyes  for  a  view 
of  some  of  our  companions  forward,  but  not  a  living  soul 
met  our  gaze.  I  descended  into  the  cabin,  and  found 
the  captain  and  the  sailor  with  the  wounded  arm  doing  as 
well  as  could  be  supposed  after  such  a  night  of  horrors. 
Captain  Davis  was  evidently  much  weaker  and  much 
worse.  I  gave  them  an  outline  of  the  misfortunes  that 
had  overtaken  us,  and  then  went  forward  with  a  beating 
heart  to  the  companion-way,  threw  it  open,  and  passed 
into  the  forecastle  and  found  it  empty ;  not  one  soul  left 
of  three  gallant  fellows  to  tell  the  story  of  their  swift 
destruction.  The  repeated  poopings  that  we  had  received 
during  the  night  must  have  swept  them  into  the  sea.  I 
passed  on  deck,  and  thence  aft.  I  noticed  that  the  cook's 
galley  was  gone,  and  the  bulwarks  on  the  starboard  side, 
and  all  the  boats,  except  our  whaleboat,  which,  although 
full  of  water,  still  remained  pinned  down  to  the  deck  by  the 
lashings  across  her  frame  to  the  numerous  ringbolts.  As  I 
walked  aft,  I  could  not  but  think  that  the  schooner  seemed 
low  in  the  water ;  but  I  for  the  moment  put  it  down  to 
her  changed  appearance  on  account  of  the  loss  of  her  bul 
warks.  By  this  time  the  sun  had  risen  and  as  beautiful 
and  mild  a  day  as  one  might  desire  to  see  burst  upon  us. 
I  relieved  Thompson  at  the  wheel,  and  the  wounded  sailor- 
soon  took  it  with  his  one  arm ;  the  vessel  scarcely  moving 
through  the  water  with  the  light  air  now  stirring.  I  went 
below  for  the  sounding-rod,  and  hastened  to  the  well,  as 
I  knew  we  must  have  made  much  water  during  the  storm, 


26  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

and  I  prayed  to  God  that  it  might  be  no  worse.  I  pulled 
out  the  pump-bucket  and  inserted  the  rod,  it  came  back 
to  the  deck,  marking  at  least  FIVE  FEET  of  water  in  the 
hold.  I  struggled  one  moment  with  my  emotion,  and 
then,  turning  to  my  companions,  I  said,  "Get  Captain 
Davis  on  deck ;  clear  away  the  whaleboat ;  this  vessel, 
curse  her,  is  doomed.  She  will  not  float  one  hour ;  she 
has  started  a  butt." 

Amazement  was  depicted  upon  the  faces  of  my  com 
panions  ;  but,  sailor-like,  they  hastened  to  obey  my  com 
mands.  We  went  into  the  cabin,  and  with  infinite  care 
and  solicitude  lifted  the  captain  out  of  his  berth  and  car 
ried  him  to  the  deck.  We  then  gathered  round  the  whale- 
boat,  relieved  her  from  her  slings  and  fastenings,  tipped 
her  over  upon  the  deck,  and  got  out  all  the  water,  and 
righted  her,  and  then  launched  her  over  the  starboard  side 
through  the  broken  bulwarks,  and,  putting  her  in  charge 
of  the  broken-armed  sailor,  let  her  drop  astern  by  her 
painter.  We  commenced  at  once  rummaging  for  stores ; 
and  out  of  a  mass  of  stuff  brought  on  deck  I  ordered 
the  following  into  the  boat  (the  spritsail  and  oars  were 
already  lashed  to  the  thwarts):  Two  half  casks  of  fresh 
water,  one  bag  of  hard  tack,  one  bag  of  uncooked  salt 
junk,  a  fishing-line  and  hooks,  a  pair  of  blankets,  some 
canned  meats,  a  compass,  charts  and  quadrant,  a  Xautical 
Almanac,  Bowditch's  Epitome,  and  a  very  valuable  book 
of  my  own,  a  Compendium  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sciences, 
a  few  pounds  of  tea  and  coffee,  four  tin  canisters  contain- 


THE   "GOOD   LUCK"    ABANDONED.  27 

ing  garden-seed,  matches,  two  rifles  and  four  revolvers, 
and  ammunition  for  the  same ;  this,  with  the  usual  cloth 
ing  of  the  men,  was  as  much  as  I  dared  load  the  boat  with ; 
and,  pulling  her  up  alongside,  we  lowered  the  captain  on 
board  on  a  mattress,  and  proceeded  to  stow  away  the 
articles  I  have  enumerated  in  as  good  order  as  possible. 
We  stepped  the  spritsail  forward  and  unlashed  the  oars, 
and  got  the  steering  oar  out  aft  through  the  becket  made 
for  that  purpose.  I  feasted  my  eyes  upon  the  treasures 
round  about  me,  but  had  sense  enough  not  to  allow  the 
boat  to  be  overloaded  with  trash,  so  as  to  swamp  us  in 
the  first  gale  of  wind.  Having  .got  everything  on  board, 
and  carefully  noted  the  day  of  the  month,  November  6th, 
in  the  Nautical  Almanac,  we  cast  off  from  the  unlucky 
"  Good  Luck,"  and  set  our  sail  to  keep  near  her  till  her 
final  destruction  took  place,  which  to  our  practised  eyes 
could  not  long  be  postponed,  as  she  was  evidently  in  the 
throes  of  death.  We  found  that  she  was  making  so  little 
headway  on  account  of  the  light  breeze,  and  from  having 
settled  so  deep  in  the  water,  that  we  took  in  our  sail  and 
lay  to  upon  our  oars  at  a  safe  distance  and  watched  her. 

Could  anything  be  more  miserable  than  our  condition  ? 
Four  unfortunate  men,  two  of  whom  were  crippled,  one 
probably  to  the  death,  cast  on  the  open  ocean  in  an  open 
boat,  at  least  a  thousand  miles  from  any  known  land. 

I  thought  of  all  the  open-boat  exposures  of  which  I  had 
ever  read;  of  Lieutenant  Bligh  and  the  "Bounty,"  and 
others  equally  startling.  I  shuddered  when  I  thought 


28  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

what  our  fate  might  be.  I  ran  through,  in  my  mind,  the 
rapid  events  that  had  followed  each  other  since  our 
departure  from  England,  and  the  unexplainable  series 
of  fatalities  that  had  robbed  us  of  our  comrades  till  we 
remained  only  the  little  group  now  seated  in  this  frail  boat. 
In  what  direction  should  we  steer  ?  what  was  to  be  our 
fate?  what  had  God  still  in  store  for  us  in  the  shape  of 
misfortune  and  horror?  It  seemed  as  if  the  bitter  cup 
had  been  full  to  overflowing,  and  that  we  had  drained 
it  to  the  very  dregs.  I  was  awaked  from  my  day-dream 
by  the  voices  of  my  comrades,  who  drew  my  attention, 
without  speech,  by  pointing  to  the  doomed  vessel.  We 
lifted  Captain  Davis  in  our  arms,  and  with  fixed  eyes  and 
set  teeth  saw  the  misnamed  schooner  drive  her  bows 
under  the  water,  and  then  shortly  after,  majestically  rais 
ing  her  forefoot  high  in  air,  sink  down  grandly  into  the 
abyss  of  ocean,  leaving  us  poor  unfortunates  adrift  upon 
its  treacherous  bosom. 

After  we  had  seen  the  last  of  the  schooner  we  gathered 
together  for  consultation  as  to  our  course.  It  was  demon 
strated  by  the  chart  that  we  were  much  nearer  to  Easter 
Island  than  to  any  other  land,  say  some  eight  hundred 
miles  distant  by  projection.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  wind  hung  persistently  from  the  northward  and 
placed  us  to  leeward  of  our  port.  It  was  too  far  to  think 
of  standing  back  to  the  South  American  coast,  and  we 
felt  that  we  must  keep  a  northwesterly  course,  and  if  the 
wind  headed  us  off  from  Easter  Island,  that  we  could 


AT   SEA   IN   AN   OPEN   BOAT.  29 

at  least  fetch  some  of  the  more  westerly  of  the  Society 
Group. 

Having  decided  upon  this,  we  set  our  foresail  and  laid 
our  course  about  W.  by  N.,  which  was  as  high  as  the 
wind  would  allow  us  to  lie.  The  day  was  pleasant  and 
the  wind  light,  and  the  sea  quiet.  I  inaugurated  at  once 
a  system  of  daily  allowance,  and  for  this  first  day  we  were 
to  issue  no  rations,  we  all  having  had  at  least,  although 
coarse  and  interrupted,  one  meal  and  plenty  of  water,  be 
fore  leaving  the  schooner.  The  days  were  growing  per 
ceptibly  longer  and  warmer,  and  we  ran  all  that  after 
noon  quietly  along  over  quite  a  smooth  sea,  making  good 
headway  to  the  westward,  but  little  northing,  which  I 
was  so  anxious  to  make.  As  the  sun  went  down  Captain 
Davis,  although  very  weak,  called  us  all  aft  around  him 
and,  in  a  faint  voice  on  the  lonely  ocean,  from  memory  re 
peated  for  us  all  the  Lord's  Prayer ;  the  loneliness  of  our 
situation  and  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  remain  vividly 
in  my  mind  to  this  day.  We  all  saw  that  we  must  soon 
lose  our  captain,  but  no  one  dared  to  say  as.  much  to  his 
neighbor ;  we  could  plainly  see  that  his  hours  were  few, 
and  that  the  motion  and  exposure  of  the  boat  could  not 
be  endured  by  him  much  longer.  After  the  sun  went 
down  I  took  the  steering  oar  aft,  and  telling  the  men  to 
lie  down  and  get  all  the  rest  they  could,  I  kept  the  boat  on 
her  course  and  seated  myself  near  the  captain,  stretched 
on  his  mattress  at  my  feet.  At  about  ten  o'clock,  as  near 
as  I  could  judge,  after  a  long  and  absolute  silence,  I  heard 


30  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

Captain  Davis  utter  my  name.  I  bent  down  towards  him, 
and  he  said,  "  Do  not  be  shocked.  I  am  soon,  very  soon, 
about  to  depart,  the  sands  of  life  have  almost  run  out,  and 
I  am  weary  and  want  to  be  at  rest  in  the  Haven  of  Re 
pose.  If  you  ever  get  back  to  England,  tell  them  that  I 
did  my  duty  faithfully.  I,  as  you  know,  have  no  wife  or 
child  to  mourn  for  me,  but  I  want  you  all  to  remember  me 
as  a  just  captain,  with  all  my  faults.  I  have  no  fear  of 
being  buried  in  the  sea ;  God  can  find  me  anywhere  at  the 
great  day,  when  we  shall  all  be  mustered  on  the  quarter 
deck  for  inspection,  and,  if  worthy,  promotion.  If  you 
are  driven  out  of  your  course,  keep  to  the  westward  still, 
and  you  will  eventually  find  land.  Say  a  prayer  or  two 
over  my  body  when  you  commit  me  to  the  deep ;  and  now 
wake  up  the  men  and  let  me  say  good-by  to  them,  for  I 
am  going  fast."  I  called  up  the  men,  and  the  two  poor 
fellows  came  aft  and  shook  the  hand  of  our  captain  in  sore 
distress ;  and  we  sat  watching,  unwilling  to  sleep  or  break 
the  silence  of  that  solemn  moment.  In  about  an  hour 
Captain  Davis  opened  his  eyes,  that  had  been  closed,  raised 
his  arm  slowly  to  his  head,  touched  an  imaginary  hat,  and 
said,  "  Come  on  board  to  report  for  duty,  Sir,"  —  and 
passed  away  like  a  child  dropping  to  sleep.  We  covered 
the  body  with  our  spare  clothing,  and  each  sat  in  sad 
reflection.  Bill  Thompson  soon  after  relieved  me  at 
the  oar,  and  I  laid  down  in  the  forward  part  of  the  boat 
and  tried  to  sleep  ;  and  such  was  exhausted  nature  that, 
in  spite  of  our  unfortunate  condition,  I  soon  dropped  off. 


BURIAL  AT   SEA.  31 

I  was  awakened  early  in  the  morning  by  a  slight  call 
from  Bill,  and  sat  up  in  the  boat,  rather  bewildered  for 
a  moment,  till  I  saw  the  outline  of  the  body  in  the  stern 
sheets,  and  then  everything  flashed  back  to  my  memory. 
I  have  little  doubt  but  what  that  sleep  saved  me  for 
the  purposes  that  God  has  preserved  me  for  to  this 
day.  It  was  thought  best  to  dispose  of  the  body  before 
the  full  breaking  of  the  day,  and  we  for  that  purpose 
gathered  around  the  remains,  and,  in  compliance  with  the 
dead  man's  request,  I  recited  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  we 
committed  the  body  to  the  deep.  This  event  produced 
a  new  shock  to  our  already  overstrained  systems,  and 
we  looked  sadly  enough  upon  each  other  with  almost 
vacant  eyes.  We  as  yet  were  blessed  with  pleasant 
weather,  and,  although  we  were  not  heading  up  to  our 
course,  we  were  making  westing  quite  fast.  This  day, 
November  7th,  we  passed  without  any  remarkable  event. 
As  there  were  now  only  three  of  us  left  we  found  plenty 
of  room  in  the  boat  to  lie  down  at  our  ease,  and  it  only 
took  one  of  us  to  steer  and  look  after  the  boat.  We  re 
arranged  everything,  and  stowed  all  our  articles  in  con 
venient  places.  So  far,  we  had  seen  no  signs  of  vessel  or 
land,  and  we  passed  the  day  in  sleeping  and  refreshing 
ourselves  for  whatever  the  future  might  have  in  store  for 
us.  The  night  was  quiet  and  the  stars  shone  down  upon 
us  with  their  silvery  light,  and  we  used  them  to  keep  our 
course  by,  having  no  light  to  see  the  compass  in  the  night 
time.  Towards  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  8th 


32  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  weather  began  to  change,  and  large  clouds  to  gather 
in  the  northern  horizon ;  it  was  at  this  time  that  we  made 
another  discovery,  and  that  was  that  one  of  the  breakers 
of  water  had  leaked  out  quietly  till  there  was  scarcely 
enough  in  it  for  our  rations  for  that  morning ;  this  was 
caused  by  its  not  having  been  used  for  some  time  before 
we  filled  it  on  board  of  the  ship.  This  discovery  caused 
us  great  uneasiness,  and  although  the  breaker  had  evi 
dently  ceased  leaking  now,  having  swollen  with  the  water 
placed  in  it,  it  was  no  longer  useful,  as  we  had  no  water 
to  replace  that  which  was  lost.  The  weather  to  wind 
ward  caused  me  great  disquietude,  and  I  was  sadly 
afraid,  in  case  of  a  blow,  that  my  Nautical  Almanac  and 
Epitome  and  Compendium  would  be  destroyed,  either  by 
rain  or  seas  that  we  might  ship.  I  bethought  me,  there 
fore,  of  copying  off  the  declination  of  the  sun  for  a  few 
days,  and  the  tables  that  I  might  want  to  use,  on  a  spare 
leaf  of  the  Epitome,  and  take  out  the  head  of  the  now  use 
less  breaker  and  enclose  all  the  books  and  charts  in  it  and 
head  it  up.  This  was  accordingly  done.  We  started  the 
hoops,  took  out  the  head,  put  the  books  and  charts  in, 
carefully  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  blanket,  and  replaced 
the  head  and  closed  up  the  bung-hole.  I  felt  relieved 
after  this,  as  I  looked  upon  the  preservation  of  my  books 
as  of  the  utmost  importance  in  our  future  navigation,  and 
I  could  think  of  no  greater  loss  to  people  in  our  condition 
than  to  have  them  lost  or  destroyed.  It  was  with  infinite 
satisfaction  that  I  saw  them  thus  safely  preserved  from 


SHORTENING   SAIL.  33 

the  water  till  I  could  again  take  them  out  in  good  weather 
and  examine  and  copy  from  them. 

Whilst  we  had  been  busy  at  this  task  the  weather  to 
windward  was  fast  becoming  bad  and  threatening  I 
dealt  out  a  fair  ration  of  hard  tack  and  canned  meat  to 
my  two  comrades,  and  then  ordered  them  to  take  the 
sprit  out  of  the  foresail,  and  bring  the  peak  down  to 
the  foot  of  the  mast,  and  lash  it  to  the  inner  leach  of 
the  sail,  and  fasten  what  was  before  the  after  leach  to 
the  foot ;  so  as  to  make  a  sort  of  double  leg-of-mutton 
sail,  with  the  body  low  down  and  along  the  boom.  We 
labored  with  a  will  at  our  work,  for  the  freshening 
breeze  was  fast  coming  down  upon  us,  and  at  twelve 
o'clock,  as  I  judge,  we  were  plunging  along  quite  well 
for  so  small  a  boat,  in  about  half  a  gale  of  wind,  which 
allowed  us  to  head  up  as  high  as  N.  N.  W.  The  sea,  how 
ever,  was  getting  up  fast,  and  I  foresaw  that  unless  it 
moderated  we  should  have  to  bear  away  and  run  before 
it.  As  I  feared,  we  now  commenced  to  take  in  consid 
erable  water,  which,  although  not  in  dangerous  quantities, 
gave  us  work  to  do  in  the  shape  of  bailing  with  the  empty 
meat  cans,  whilst  the  attention  of  one  was  needed  without 
remission  at  the  steering  oar  and  sheet.  We  were,  thank 
God,  blessed  with  that  best  of  seaboats,  a  Nantucket 
whaleboat ;  and  although  she  was  low  in  the  water,  she 
was  also  buoyant,  and  rode  the  waves  better  than  could  be 
expected  of  any  other  craft  of  her  size.  I  felt,  too,  that 
we  could  at  any  time  make  easy  weather  of  it  by  scudding 


34  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

or  running  before  the  wind,  for  which  she  was  admirably 
fitted,  being  sharp  at  both  ends,  and  therefore  in  no 
danger  of  being  pooped ;  but  this  was  the  last  thing  that 
I  desired  to  do,  as  it  would  take  us  from  our  course 
towards  the  islands  and  far  to  the  southward,  as  such  a 
boat  would  make  rapid  way  before  the  wind,  with  even 
this  small  sail. 

At  about  two  o'clock  the  wind  hauled  more  to  the 
westward  and  headed  us  off  to  the  southward.  At  three 
o'clock  we  had  broken  off  to  S.  W.,  and  the  wind  increas 
ing,  and  the  sea  getting  up  fast,  so  fast  that  I  already 
had  to  let  the  boat  go  very  free  before  it,  to  keep  her 
from  being  swamped. 

At  sundown  the  gale  had  greatly  increased,  and  I 
found  that  to  preserve  us,  and  on  account  of  the  steady 
change  of  the  wind,  that  I  was  compelled  to  steer  about 
S.  by  W.,  and  to  allow  ourselves  to  run  before  the  tem 
pest.  As  the  darkness  set  down  upon  us  like  a  pall,  I 
gave  ourselves  up  as  lost.  I  clung  to  the  steering-oar 
and  guided  the  boat  before  the  wind ;  the  only  clew  that 
was  given  me  how  to  steer  was  the  angry  roar  of  the 
combing  billows  astern  and  the  rush  of  the  wind  by  the 
side  of  my  face  :  by  these  two  senses  of  hearing  and  feel 
ing,  I  was  enabled  to  tell  when  the  boat  was  about  to 
broach  to,  which  would  have  been  destruction,  and  how 
to  steer  so  as  to  keep  her  before  the  wind.  The  dark 
ness  was  the  darkness  of  the  ocean  in  a  storm,  and 
torrents  of  rain  and  spray  flew  over  us.  I  was  unable  to 


WRECK   OF   THE   WHALEBOAT.  35 

see  an  atom  of  even  the  sail  ahead  of  me  in  the  boat. 
And  thus  we  plunged  on,  into  the  inky  darkness,  followed 
by  the  angry  roar  of  the  disappointed  waves  that  we  left 
astern.  We  were  moving  with  frightful  rapidity  through 
the  water;  but  in  what  direction  I  had  no  means  of 
knowing. 

I  clung  to  the  steering-oar,  and  my  companions  to  their 
bailers ;  how  many  hours  we  thus  rushed  along  I  know 
not.  I  had  become  hardened  to  the  situation,  and  the 
angry  roar  astern  had  become  a  familiar  noise  in  my  ears. 
I  commenced  to  people  the  darkness  with  vessels,  islands, 
sunlight,  and  music  ;  I  had  long  ceased  to  care  what  fate 
might  have  in  store  for  me ;  I  felt  that  the  night  must  be 
nearly  passed,  and  wondered  whether  we  should  survive 
to  see  the  daylight.  I  dreamed,  and  became  semi-uncon- 
cious,  but  still  guided  the  boat  onward  before  the  wind. 

I  felt  that  nature  could  not  be  sustained  much  longer, 
and  that  in  a  few  hours  I  must  succumb.  My  comrades 
pottered  round  at  my  feet,  their  efforts  to  bail  becoming 
more  and  more  feeble.  I  was  in  this  reckless,  half-dazed 
state  when,  without  one  moment's  warning,  I  was  thrown 
with  a  crash  into  the  forward  end  of  the  boat,  and  in 
another  instant  surrounded  by  pieces  of  the  boat  and 
floating  debris.  I  found  myself  hurled  rapidly  forward 
by  an  incoming  wave,  and  rolled  over  and  over  some 
hard  substance ;  the  next  instant  the  retreating  wave 
found  me  clinging  to  a  mass  of  what  was  evidently  land 
of  some  kind,  and  the  sea  already  had  a  faint,  distant 


36  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

sound  to  my  ears.  The  next  incoming  wave  dashed  over 
some  evident  obstacle  between  me  and  it,  and  I  clung  to 
the  object  at  which  I  had  first  clutched,  ready  to  receive 
it.  I  was  buried  beneath  it,  but  managed  to  keep  my 
hold,  and,  as  it  retreated,  the  noise  again  became  fainter, 
and  it  flashed  over  me  that,  by  the  first  wave,  I  had  been 
washed  over  some  reef  or  barrier  between  the  open  ocean 
and  where  I  now  hung,  and  that  each  wave  was  broken 
by  this  barrier  before  reaching  me. 

Before  the  next  wave  came  I  had  gained  my  feet,  and 
felt  that  I  was  standing  upon  rocky  ground,  and  clutching 
masses  of  rock-weed  in  each  hand.  I  was  again  buried, 
but  hung  on  with  desperation  till  the  wave  had  retired. 
Evidently  I  had  been  washed  over  the  reef;  but  what 
was  to  leeward  of  me.  By  a  sailor's  instinct  I  knew  that 
it  was  smooth  water,  and  that  I  had  at  least  a  rocky  bar 
rier  between  me  and  the  raging  ocean  outside.  Every 
wave  did  not  submerge  me,  but  most  of  them  did,  and  I 
felt  that  it  was  only  a  question  of  a  few  moments  more 
how  long  I  could  hold  on  before  trusting  myself  to  swim 
ming  to  leeward.  O  for  some  knowledge  of  what  lay 
behind  me.  One  flash  of  lightning,  one  speck  of  God's 
blessed  daylight ! 

Was  there  land  behind  me?  or  should  I  let  go  my  last 
hold  upon  life  when  I  unclasped  my  hands  from  the 
rock-weed  that  they  held  to?  My  brain  worked  with 
lightning-like  rapidity.  I  knew  that  I  must  not  hang  on 
to  this  reef,  submerged  every  few  moments,  till  all  my 


SAVED.  37 

• 

strength  was  gone,  so  that  I  coula  not  swim;  this  was 
to  seek  certain  death;  whereas,  in  letting  go  and  swim 
ming  to  leeward  I  had  one  chance  to  be  saved.  If  there 
was  land,  it  no  doubt  could  be  easily  approached  on 
account  of  the  sea  being  stopped  by  the  barrier  to  which 
I  now  clung.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  land  to  which  I 
now  hung  was  the  only  land,  and  the  pitiless  sea  alone 
to  leeward,  then  God  have  mercy  upon  my  soul !  I  must 
do  something.  Although  used  to  swimming  and  diving,  I 
could  not  stand  this  submersion  much  longer,  and  my 
arms  were  fast  giving  out ;  therefore,  when  the  next  wave 
came,  I  let  go  my  hold,  and  crying  out,  in  my  despair, 
"  Oh,  help  me,  Lord !  "  allowed  myself  to  be  carried  away 
with  it.  In  a  moment  I  felt  that  my  conjectures  about 
smooth  water  had  been  correct.  I  swam  without  difficulty, 
in  comparatively  smooth  water,  encumbered  only  by  my 
clothes.  Should  I  find  land  before  me  ?  Oh,  for  light ! 
Hark !  did  I  hear  the  break  of  water  upon  land  before  me  ? 
and  so  near.  Down  went  my  feet,  and  I  found  myself 
standing  in  water  not  up  to  my  armpits.  The  revulsion 
was  terrible.  I  fell  into  the  water,  and  scrambling,  fight 
ing,  fainting,  plunged  forward  till  I  found  myself  safe  on 
shore  and  at  some  distance  from  the  water,  when  I  fell 
down  unconscious  on  the  sand. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Return  to  consciousness.    Seek  for  my  comrades.    Commence  a  calendar, 
and  take  inventory  of  rny  effects. 

How  long  I  lay  unconscious  where  I  had  scrambled 
and  fallen  down  I  shall  never  know,  but  when  I  awoke 
and  stared  around  me,  I  found  that  it  was  broad  day 
light,  and,  by  the  sun,  at  least  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock 
in  the  day.  I  gazed  around  me  and  tried  to  collect  my 
thoughts,  and  the  horrors  of  the  preceding  night  came 
slowly  back  to  my  memory.  I  arose  and  stretched  my 
limbs,  and  with  the  exception  of  some  stiffness  in  my 
joints,  and  bruises  that  were  not  of  a  serious  nature,  I  found 
myself  all  right.  I  fell  upon  my  knees  and  devoutly 
thanked  God  for  my  deliverance,  and  then  arose  and 
looked  around  me.  I  found  myself  standing  on  a  smooth, 
sandy  beach,  which,  by  the  sun,  evidently  ran  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  east  and  west ;  a  narrow  strip  of  water  not  more 
than  a  short  quarter  of  a  mile  separated  me  from  the 
reef  over  which  I  had  evidently  been  swept  the  previous 
night.  To  my  right  hand,  as  I  stood  facing  the  north, 
ran  a  level  beach  of  a  mile  or  so  in  extent,  ending  in  an 
elevation  and  hills  at  the  extreme  end,  faced,  its  entire 
length,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  by  this  natural  breakwater 
38 


ALONE   ON   THE   ISLAND.  39 

or  reef  in  front  of  me.  To  the  left  I  discerned  an  open 
ing  to  the  sea  about  one  mile  distant ;  and  beyond,  low 
land  extending  for  several  miles,  and  ending  in  a  pro 
montory  of  some  elevation.  Turning  about,  I  saw  behind 
me,  running  down  almost  to  the  sandy  beach,  a  grove 
of  trees,  with  many  of  which  I  was  familiar,  and  wooded 
higher  land  in  the  background. 

My  nautical  knowledge  told  that  there  was  no  known 
land  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Where  was  I  ?  Where 
were  my  companions  in  the  boat  ?  Was  the  island 
inhabited  by  savages?  Had  I  been  saved  to  become  their 
prey  ?  All  these  questions  rushed  through  my  mind,  but 
were  unanswerable.  I  began  to  feel  faint  and  sick  with 
thirst,  hunger,  and  fatigue,  and  devoured  with  an  unap 
peasable  curiosity  to  know  the  fate  of  my  comrades ;  and 
to  this  end,  I  stripped  off  my  clothing  and  waded  into 
the  water  towards  the  reef  over  which  I  had  so  provi 
dentially  been  cast.  I  found  the  water  shallow  and  with 
a  pure,  sandy  bottom,  and  had  only  to  swim  a  few  .rods 
to  regain  my  feet  again,  and  be  able  to  reach  the  break 
water.  With  what  intense  excitement,  fierce  but  re 
strained,  I  climbed  the  rocks,  and  gazed  upon  the  open 
sea,  you  who  have  never  been  cast  away,  from  home, 
kindred,  and  society  can  never  know.  I  looked  about  me 
upon  the  rocks,  and  at  the  treacherous  sea,  now  as  smooth 
and  smiling  as  a  sleeping  infant.  In  vain  did  I  search 
for  any  traces  of  my  comrades. 

Not  a  sign  of  them  was  to  be  seen.    Now  that  the  storm 


40  PEHSEVEEANCE  ISLAND. 

had  gone  down,  this  breakwater  of  rocks  stood  several 
feet  above  the  sea,  irregular  in  width  and  height.  By 
aligning  myself  on  the  place  on  shore  where  I  had  landed, 
and  whence  I  had  come,  I  felt  sure  that  I  must  be  near 
the  spot  where  the  boat  had  struck.  I  passed  a  little 
farther  to  the  right,  and  came  upon  the  scene  of  my  dis 
aster.  Upon  the  rocks  I  found  small  portions  of  the 
boat,  broken  to  atoms  not  larger  than  my  hand,  but 
no  friend,  no  comrade,  no  living  soul  to  cheer  my 
despair.  I  saw  in  a  very  few  minutes  that  if  they 
had  not  been  swept  over  the  reef  at  the  very  first  sea, 
as  I  had  been,  they  had  inevitably  been  washed  back 
again  into  the  ocean,  dashed  amongst  the  rocks,  and 
sucked  in  by  the  undertow,  never  more  to  be  seen  by 
man.  A  very  few  moments'  examination  convinced  me 
that  such  must  have  been  the  case.  But  one  single 
chance  remained,  and  that  was,  if  they  were  swept  over 
the  reef  as  I  was,  if  alive,  their  tracks  would  show  on  the 
sand  of  the  shore  behind  me.  I  did  not  have  the  slight 
est  faith  in  this,  but  saved  it  in  my  mind  to  be  proved 
when  I  returned  to  the  shore.  Striving  to  put  the  horror 
of  my  position  far  from  me,  and  trying  to  see  if  there  was 
anything  to  be  saved  that  could  be  useful  to  me  in  my 
miserable  condition,  I  began  to  look  about  me  in  the 
crevices  of  the  rocks  for  any  small  article  that  might  have 
escaped  the  maw  of  the  ocean.  In  about  an  hour's 
search  I  had  gathered  the  following  together,  which  was 
every  atom  thnt  seemed  to  remain  of  the  boat  and  her 


FLOTSAM  AND  JETSAM.  41 

appurtenances,  —  the  remainder  had  evidently  been 
ground  into  powder  against  the  rocks,  and  hurled  back 
with  the  retiring  waves  into  the  insatiable  ocean:  One 
piece  of  boat-planking,  about  nine  feet  long  and  ten  inches 
wide,  which  I  preserved  on  account  of  its  containing 
several  nails  which  had  bolted  it  to  the  keelson ;  one  tin 
meat-can  that  we  had  used  as  a  bailer,  somewhat  bent, 
which  I  found  securely  jammed  in  a  crevice  of  the  rock; 
one  canister  of  preserved  meat,  thrown  by  the  sea  into 
a  sort  of  natural  cavity  or  pocket  in  the  rocks;  and 
last,  the  most  important  of  all,  the  boat's  anchor  and 
rope  cable,  which  had  washed  across  the  reef  and  hung 
with  the  end  in  the  quiet  waters  of  the  inner  bay.  I 
grasped  it  and  coiled  it  up,  following  it  to  the  outer 
side  of  the  reef,  whence  I  pulled  up  the  anchor,  and 
found  myself  in  possession  of  it  and  some  twenty  fathoms 
of  good  inch-and-three-quarter  manilla  rope.  This  con 
stituted  all  my  earthly  fortunes,  and,  placing  the  anchor 
and  rope  and  the  empty  meat  canister  and  the  full  one 
upon  the  piece  of  boat-planking,  which  just  barely  sup 
ported  them  when  submerged  in  the  water,  I  thrust 
them  carefully  before  me  towards  the  other  shore,  and, 
getting  too  deep  to  wade,  I  guided  them  with  one  hand 
and  pushed  them  before  me  till,  again  touching  bottom 
with  my  feet,  I  soon  had  them  on  land,  safe  and  sound, 
at  the  place  where  I  had  first  landed,  and  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  sea. 

As  soon  as  these  were  secured,  I  started  off  to  the  left 


42  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

to  examine  the  pure  white  sand  to  see  if  any  human  foot 
had  come  on  shore  but  my  own;  but,  alas,  there  was 
no  sign.  Turning,  when  I  had  reached  a  distance  beyond 
which  it  would  have  been  useless  to  look,  I  came  back  and 
made  a  similar  exploration  to  the  right.  As  I  advanced  I 
saw  something  black  rolling  quietly  up  and  down  the 
beach  with  each  miniature  wave.  For  one  instant  I  mistook 
it  for  the  body  of  one  of  my  comrades;  the  next  I  knew  it 
for  one  of  the  breakers  that  had  been  in  the  boat.  I 
rushed  into  the  sea  and  grasped  it,  its  light  weight  told 
me  at  once  that  it  was  the  one  containing  my  charts, 
books,  Epitome,  and  Nautical  Almanac,  that  its  very  light 
ness  had  preserved  it  and  allowed  it  to  be  cast  over  the 
reef  at  the  very  first  sea,  instead  of  being  crushed,  as  the 
one  full  of  water  evidently  had  been,  with  the  boat. 
With  gratitude  to  God  for  even  this  slight  mercy  and 
solace,  I  dragged  the  cask  well  towards  the  land  and 
beyond  all  danger  of  the  sea. 

Having  made  sure  that  there  was  nothing  else  to  be 
saved,  I  came  back  to  my  first  landing-place,  sat  down 
fainter  than  ever,  but  managed  to  get  on  my  clothes,  and 
with  one  of  the  rusty  nails  from  the  boat's  plank  to 
scratch  upon  a  large  stone  near  by,  "November  9,  1865," 
after  which  I  forced  open  the  top  of  the  canister  of  pre 
served  meats,  by  means  of  the  same  nail  and  a  small 
pebble,  taking  care  not  to  cut  the  whole  top  quite  out,  but 
to  leave  it  hanging  by  a  kind  of  hinge.  By  punching  hole 
after  hole  around  the  periphery  of  the  canister  with  the 


INVENTORY   OF   SALVAGE.  43 

point  of  the  nail,  close  together,  I  soon  had  it  off  except 
in  one  portion  purposely  preserved.  Pressing  this  cover 
back,  I  took  a  draught  of  what  to  me,  in  my  state,  might 
be  called  nectar,  for  it  was  both  food  and  water,  but 
which  was  in  reality  simply  beef  soup. 

After  this  refreshing  draught,  I  lay  myself  down  upon 
the  bank  and  gave  myself  up  to  meditation.  After  re 
clining  upon  the  ground  about  half  an  hour,  my  eyes 
became  fixed  upon  an  object  slowly  approaching  me  from 
the  right  hand,  and  evidently  going  out  of  the  narrow 
inlet  in  front  of  me  with  the  tide,  which  was  then  at  ebb. 
I  rubbed  my  eyes,  and  thought  I  recognized  an  article 
belonging  to  the  boat.  I  took  off  my  clothes  again  and 
entered  the  water,  and  soon  had  hold  of  one  of  the  large 
red  powder-canisters,  which  had  been  filled  with  seeds 
and  stored  in  the  boat  when  we  entered  Magellan  Straits. 
I  eagerly  seized  upon  my  prize  and  brought  it  safely  to 
shore,  and  found  that  it  had  been  preserved  perfectly 
water-tight  by  the  screw  in  the  top,  through  which  hole 
the  seeds  had  been  dropped  into  it  and  then  closed.  I 
carried  this  canister  to  my  former  seat  and  sat  myself 
down  with  all  my  worldly  goods  about  me.  I  made 
mentally  the  following  inventory  of  effects :  — 

On  my  person  I  had  the  following :  I  had  lost  my  hat 
in  the  gale,  and  the  remainder  of  my  clothing  consisted  of 
one  pair  of  coarse  shoes,  one  pair  of  woollen  stockings,  one 
pair  of  flannel  drawers,  one  pair  of  cheap  woollen  trousers, 
one  flannel  undershirt,  one  blue  flannel  shirt,  one  silk  neck- 


44  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

tie.  On  the  ground  before  me :  one  empty  tin  canister 
that  we  had  used  as  a  bailer,  one  empty  tin  canister  that 
had  lately  contained  the  beef  soup,  one  large  tin  canister, 
filled  with  garden  seeds,  one  anchor  of  about  forty  pounds 
weight,  and  twenty  fathoms  of  line,  one  piece  of  boat- 
planking  with  several  nails,  and  the  empty  breakers,  con 
taining,  as  I  knew  by  memory,  one  Bowditch's  Epitome, 
one  Nautical  Almanac,  one  large  book,  entitled,  "  Com 
pendium  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sciences,"  and  one  chart  of 
the  South  Pacific  Ocean.  In  the  pocket  of  my  trousers  I 
found  one  piece  of  plug  tobacco,  a  small  piece  of  twine,  a 
hair  comb,  and  clay  pipe.  My  knife,  for  which  I  would 
have  given  so  much,  had  either  been  laid  down  in  the 
boat  or  since  lost ;  it  was,  at  any  rate,  gone,  and  I  mourned 
for  it. 

My  various  duties  in  collecting  these  things  about  me ; 
my  former  fatigue  and  depression,  aided  by  the  food  I 
had  swallowed,  soon  brought  me  to  a  state  of  drowsiness ; 
and  as  the  sun  was  now  fast  declining,  I  drew  myself  fur 
ther  upon  the  island  and  under  a  sort  of  cedar-tree,  —  the 
thick  and  low  bousrhs  of  which  formed  a  covering  for 

O  ^ 

my  body  from  the  dews,  —  and  gathering  my  household 
goods  about  me,  I,  after  meekly  resigning  myself  to  my 
fate  and  commending  myself  to  God,  lay  quietly  down 
and  fell  to  sleep  with  the  setting  sun. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Attempt  to  make  a  fire.  Distil  salt  water.  First  meal.  Reflections. 
Hat-making.  Repose. 

I  SLEPT  all  night  soundly  in  spite  of  the  cool  air  and 
the  novelty  of  my  situation.  When  I  awoke,  the  sun  was 
about  two  hours  high,  and  I  came  out  from  under  my 
cedar-tree  feeling  quite  refreshed,  with  the  exception  of 
an  intolerable  thirst.  The  want  of  water  had  troubled 
me  on  the  preceding  day,  and  it  flashed  across  my  mind, 
What  shall  I  do  if  I  find  no  fresh  water  ? —  what  shall  I  do  if 
I  find  no  fresh  water?  —  and  this  refrain  kept  now  running 
through  my  head,  accompanied  with  another  tune,  What 
will  you  do  for  fire  ?  —  what  will  you  do  for  fire  ?  These 
two  melodies  filled  my  ears  without  cessation.  I  arose 
from  my  seat  on  the  bank,  and  proceeded  to  the  sea  in 
front  of  me,  and  washed  my  face  and  combed  out  my  hair. 
I  then  fell  upon  my  knees  and  invoked  the  assistance  of 
Divine  Providence  in  my  distress.  Having  ended  these 
duties  I  began  to  look  about  me  for  water,  —  water. 

Should  I  start  off  at  a  venture  and  run  the  chance  of 
finding  water,  failing  in  which  I  should  perish,  or  should 
I  at  once  begin  to  work  with  the  brains  that  God  had 
given  me,  to  procure  in  a  scientific  manner  that  which 

45 


46  PEItSEVEKANCE   ISLAND. 

Nature  had  refused  ?  If,  thought  I,  I  start  off  and  use  up 
all  my  strength  in  a  vain  search,  I  can  then  but  lay  down 
and  die ;  whilst  on  the  other  hand,  by  commencing  now 
whilst  I  am  comparatively  fresh,  to  try  and  overcome  this 
obstacle,  I  have  two  chances  of  life :  for,  failing  here,  I 
can  as  a  last  resort  push  forward  into  the  island  till  I  find 
water  or  lie  down  and  die  for  want  of  it.  Having  thus 
firmly  made  up  my  mind,  I  began  to  think.  To  procure 
water  I  must  first  make  fire.  How  should  I  do  it  ? 
Matches  I  had  none ;  flint,  steel,  or  tinder  I  was  without, 
and  no  means  of  procuring  them.  I  must  find  steel,  flint, 
and  tinder,  but  where?  how?  My  eyes  fell  upon  the 
anchor,  and  that  gave  me  an  idea,  but  I  knew  that  the 
iron  of  which  it  was  composed  was  too  soft  and  rusty  to 
be  of  use  for  my  purpose.  I  bethought  me  of  the  nails  in 
the  planking,  but  upon  examination  they  also  were  too 
soft. 

An  inspiration  struck  me.  I  drew  off  one  of  my  shoes, 
and  by  means  of  one  of  the  larger  nails  and  a  pebble  soon 
had  one  of  the  heels  off,  displaying  a  row  of  nails  that  I 
hoped  were  hard  enough  for  my  purpose.  I  pounded  one 
of  the  most  likely  looking  ones  out  of  the  leather,  and 
found  it  quite  hard  and  polished.  I  ran  towards  the  line 
of  pebbles  that  the  sea  had  for  ages  cast  up,  and  looked 
for  a  flinty  stone  to  strike  my  nail  upon.  I  tried  several, 
but  could  get  no  spark.  I  began  to  despair.  I  had  in 
boyhood  thrown  large  stones  together  in  the  night  time 
on  purpose  to  see  the  sparks  fly,  but  I  was  well  aware  that, 


OBTAINING   FIRE.  47 

obtained  in  this  manner,  they  would  be  too  weak  to  ignite 
any  tinder,  and  my  only  salvation  was  in  my  shoe  nail  and 
a  Hint,  or  at  least  a  flinty  stone.  I  sought  and  sought, 
and  tried  and  tried,  without  the  slightest  success.  The 
sweat  began  to  drop  from  my  brow  in  great  beads  of 
excitement ;  finally  I  edged  more  towards  the  upper  part 
of  the  beach  and  towards  a  small  cluster  of  rocks  further 
inland,  whose  base  was  also  surrounded  by  small  pebbles. 
I  had  almost  given  up  hope,  when,  pushing  the  pebbles 
to  one  side,  I  turned  up  to  the  light  one  of  a  dirty  yellow 
color  that  I  was  convinced  was  a  veritable  piece  of  flint. 
I  seized  upon  it  and  wiped  it  upon  my  clothes,  for  it  was 
damp,  and  felt  convinced  that  it  was  genuine  flint.  I  had 
to  lay  it  in  the  sun  to  dry  before  I  could  prove  it,  and  you 
can  little  know  the  agony  that  I  endured  in  that  short 
interval.  At  last  the  flint  was  dry,  and,  taking  it  in  my 
hand,  I  struck  it  against  the  nail.  Eureka !  Eureka !  A 
faint  but  perfect  spark  shone  for  an  instant  in  the  open 
air.  I  rushed  back  with  my  prize  to  my  cedar-tree,  and 
placing  the  nail  and  flint  where  I  could  easily  find  them, 
I  plunged  into  the  grove  to  look  for  tinder.  I  took  within 
half  an  hour  a  hundred  different  substances  in  my  hand 
to  examine  them  and  see  if  they  would  serve  my  purpose. 
Walking  on,  I  carne  to  a  little  open  field  with  a  short,  sour 
grass,  and  it  was  here  that  I  hoped  to  find  my  prize.  Do 
you  ask  what  I  was  looking  for?  I  was  looking  for  one 
of  those  dried-up  balls,  that,  as  boys,  we  used  to  burst 
open  and  see  the  dust  fly,  that  we  called  nigger-balls. 


48  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

Moving  along  I  came  upon  a  plant  that  is  sometimes  used 
to  make  pickles  of,  and  I  knew  that  the  pod  contained  a 
soft  silky  substance  something  like  cotton.  I  seized  upon 
this  and  pulled  off  an  old  last  year's  pod,  and  found  the 
substance  I  was  in  search  of.  I  did  not  know  whether  it 
would  do  for  tinder  or  not,  but  I  hoped  so.  I  ran  about 
the  field  looking  to  the  right  and  the  left,  and  as  I  was 
about  to  give  the  search  up,  right  under  my  nose  I  espied 
a  large  nigger-ball.  I  fastened  upon  it  and  posted  back 
to  my  bank  near  the  cedar-tree.  The  time  for  the  final 
test  had  come.  Now  to  the  supreme  trial. 

I  burst  open  the  nigger-ball  and  extracted  a  small  quan 
tity  of  the  dark,  dust-like  powder  that  it  contained,  and 
laid  it  carefully  upon  a  small,  smooth  stone.  I  then  ex 
tracted  some  of  the  cotton-like  fibre  from  my  milkweed 
pod,  and  picked  it  carefully  apart  into  minute  atoms  with 
my  fingers,  and  mixed  it  into  the  dust  before  me  on  the 
stone.  I  gathered  together  minute  dry  twigs  and  leaves 
all  ready  to  place  upon  the  tinder  should  I  be  able  to 
ignite  it.  I  leaned  over  my  tinder,  and  with  the  shoe 
nail  grasped  carefully  and  firmly  in  the  left  hand  I  placed 
it  near  to  it,  and  with  the  right  hand  containing  the  flint 
struck  it  a  smart  blow.  The  first  spark  missed  the  tinder 
entirely.  I  moved  my  hand  slightly,  and  the  next  stroke 
sent  a  fine  spark  into  the  very  centre  of  the  pile,  and  in 
one  moment  it  was  ignited,  and  a  little  snake  of  fire  began 
to  run  in  and  out  of  the  tinder.  I  blew  carefully  upon 
this  and  put  little  pieces  of  wood  in  the  right  places, 


STRIKING   F1RK   WITH    FLINT   AND   STEEL.  —  PAGE  48. 


DISTILLING   WATER.  49 

petted  and  worked  upon  it  until,  with  a  careful  but  in 
creasing  blast,  it  burst  into  flame.  I  piled  on  wood  and 
sticks  till  I  felt  sure  of  the  result,  and  then  commenced 
dancing  and  singing  round  about  the  flame,  till  in  my 
weakness  and  excitement  I  fell  down  in  a  dead  faint.  I 
opened  my  eyes  again  to  see  my  fire  burning  cheerily 
away  as  if  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 

Now  for  water !  water !  I  seized  upon  the  canister  of 
garden  seeds,  which  was  an  old  powder  canister  formerly, 
and  would  contain,  I  should  say,  a  gallon  of  water,  and 
poured  out  the  seeds  through  the  screw  hole  in  the  top 
upon  a  large  flat  stone,  and  covered  them  with  a  few  leaves. 
Weak  as  I  then  was,  I  recognized  beans,  wheat,  rice, 
corn,  cucumbers,  &c.  I  took  the  empty  canister  to  the 
sea  and  washed  it  carefully  out  and  brought  it  back  filled 
with  salt  water,  and  placed  it  upon  my  fire,  which  was 
now  burning  splendidly.  I  rushed  again  to  the  seashore 
and  picked  up  several  long  pieces  of  kelp,  which  we  boys 
used  to  call  devil's  apron,  and  which  I  knew  were  long, 
hollow  tubes  that  would  suit  my  purpose  admirably. 
With  the  small  twine  in  my  pocket,  and  a  piece  of  my 
flannel  shirt  and  various  leaves,  I  bound  one  of  these  long 
tubes  of  kelp  to  the  screw  hole  of  the  canister  on  the 
fire,  and  supported  it  clear  of  the  flames  by  means  of 
crotched  sticks,  which  I  tore  from  trees  near  by,  and 
also  built  a  wall  round  about  the  fire,  to  confine  it  more, 
made  out  of  stones,  upon  which  I  rested  the  opposite  edges 
of  the  canister.  I  led  this  tube  of  kelp,  which  was  at 


50  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

least  ten  feet  long,  gradually  down  hill  towards  the  ocean, 
and,  digging  a  long  furrow  in  the  sand,  I  filled  it  with  wet 
kelp  and  seaweed,  placed  my  tube  therein,  and  covered  it 
up  again  with  sand ;  at  the  orifice  I  dug  quite  a  deep  hole, 
and  set  one  of  the  empty  meat-cans  under  it  to  catch  the 
dropping  water  that  I  knew  must  appear  as  soon  as  my 
powder  canister  commenced  to  boil.  I  took  the  bailer  and 
rushed  to  the  ocean,  and  saturated,  by  repeated  trips,  the 
sand  under  which  my  tube  was  buried.  By  this  time  my 
thirst  was  fearful,  and  having  heard  that  bathing  is  some 
times  useful  in  such  circumstances,  I  dragged  off  my 
clothes,  and,  too  weak  to  swim,  I  lay  down  in  the  cool 
water  at  full  length  upon  the  sandy  bottom,  within  view 
of  my  fire  and  condenser.  Anxious  as  I  was,  I  knew  that 
I  must  sustain  my  strength,  and  I  could  think  of  no  better 
method  than  this.  The  cool  sea  water  revived  me  greatly, 
more  than  I  could  have  believed  possible,  and,  fearing  to 
stay  in  too  long,  I  tottered  ashore  and  to  my  little  well. 
Water !  water !  There  it  was  dribbling  out  of  the  tube  of 
kelp  into  the  meat-can  —  already  an  inch  or  two  had  col 
lected.  Although  tasting  badly  of  the  salt  kelp  tube 
through  which  it  had  passed,  you  can  little  know  the  rap 
ture  with  which  I  swallowed  it  and  thanked  God.  In  a 
few  moments  more  I  had  enough  for  another  swallow,  and 
of  a  much  better  quality,  less  brackish,  and  by  quietly 
waiting  I  soon  had  two  or  three  inches  of  quite  good 
water,  brackish  to  be  sure,  but  pure  enough  to  support 
life  and  to  course  like  quicksilver  through  my  veins  and 


A  CLAMBAKE.  51 

give  me  a  new  lease  of  life.  Suffice  it  to  say  that,  by  re 
newing  my  canister  on  the  fire,  I  had  in  a  few  hours  both 
the  meat-cans  full  of  water,  and  my  craving  thirst  entirely 
quenched.  Brains  had  won.  I  had  both  fire  and  water  — 
two  of  the  four  elements  —  at  my  command.  As  soon  as 
my  thirst  was  appeased  I  commenced  to  feel  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  but  this  gave  me  little  disquietude,  for  I  had  not 
been  digging  in  the  sand  without  observing  that  there 
were  plenty  of  clams  on  every  side  of  me,  and  with  a 
short  stick  I  soon  had  as  many  as  I  wanted  on  the  surface, 
and  from  thence  to  the  hot  stones  of  my  fire,  where  I  cov 
ered  them  with  wet  seaweed  and  allowed  them  to  roast. 
"Whilst  this  was  going  on  I  strayed  away  to  the  left  a  short 
distance, where  I  had  seen  many  gulls  gathered  together,  and 
sure  enough,  as  I  suspected,  I  found  the  crevices  of  the  rocks 
full  of  eggs.  I  took  upon  myself,  as  proprietor  of  the  island, 
to  abstract  some  dozen  of  them,  and  taking  the  large  can 
ister  and  rinsing  it  out  with  a  very  little  of  the  precious 
fresh  water,  I  poured  the  remainder  into  it  from  the  meat- 
can,  and  started  with  the  latter  to  the  sea,  and  returned 
with  it  filled  with  sea  water,  which  I  placed  upon  my  fire, 
and  dropped  into  it  half  a  dozen  of  my  new-found  eggs, 
which  soon  commenced  to  boil  right  merrily.  By  this 
time  my  clams  were  baked  or  roasted,  and  I  sat  down  to 
my  first  meal,  consisting  of  boiled  eggs,  baked  clams,  and 
fresh  water,  with  a  thankful  and  even  a  cheerful  heart ;  for 
had  I  not  overcome  impossibilities  almost,  and  made  sure 
of  the  two  great  wants  of  humanity,  fire  and  water,  which 
meant  food,  life,  everything? 


52  PEKSEVEKANCE   ISLAND. 

Nature  being  satisfied,  I  began  to  think  of  the  horror 
of  my  situation,  the  only  survivor  of  a  company  of  gal 
lant  fellows  that  had  left  England  in  such  good  spirits  only 
a  few  months  ago.  Here  was  I,  a  poor  Robinson  Crusoe, 
alone  and  desolate  on  an  unknown  island.  I  tried  to  pen 
etrate  the  dark  future  and  discover  what  fate  still  held  in 
store  for  me.  By  this  time  the  day  had  passed  into  after 
noon,  and  I  felt  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  the  coming 
night.  My  great  fear  was  that  the  island  was  inhabited 
by  savages,  and  if  so  I  had  preserved  my  life  to  little 
purpose,  for  I  should,  upon  being  discovered,  probably  be 
killed  at  once,  or  else  be  made  to  drag  out  a  miserable  ex 
istence  as  their  slave,  or  be  kept  a  captive  by  them  for  the 
term  of  my  natural  life. 

I  glanced  about  me  and  saw  that  the  island  was  fair  to 
look  upon,  and  evidently  of  considerable  extent.  I  desired 
to  explore  it,  but  prudence  and  fear  restrained  me.  My 
first  care  was  to  get  some  covering  for  my  head;  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  although  not  oppressive,  were  uncom 
fortable.  I  passed  again  through  the  grove  of  cedars 
and  into  the  open  field,  and  looked  about  for  something 
to  make  a  hat  of,  but  found  nothing  then  to  suit  me. 
I  returned  to  the  seaside  again,  and  what  would  do  for 
the  purpose  struck  my  eye  at  once,  namely,  a  sort  of  salt 
water  rushes  which  grew  out  of  the  sand  in  large  quanti 
ties,  not  far  from  me  to  the  right,  similar  to  what  we  used 
to  call  at  home  sedge.  I  gathered  sufficient  of  the  riper 
and  less  green  leaves  and  stalks  for  my  purpose,  and 


HAT-MAKING.  53 

commenced  to  lay  them  up  into  what  sailors  call  five- 
strand  sennit,  and  what  young  ladies  would  call  five- 
strand  braiding.  I  soon  had  several  yards  of  this  material 
laid  up,  and  found  it  quite  well  suited  for  my  purpose. 
When  I  had  what  I  deemed  sufficient  I  took  the  nail 
I  had  before  used  to  open  the  meat-can  with,  and  which 
I  kept  in  my  pocket,  and  commenced  to  bring  its  end 
to  a  sharp  point  by  grinding  it  upon  a  soft  pebble  that 
lay  beside  me,  and  having  brought  it  to  a  point  I  went 
to  work  and  unlaid  about  a  fathom  of  my  manilla  rope, 
and,  taking  the  edge  of  a  clam-shell,  sawed  off  one  of  the 
strands,  and  from  that  I  selected  a  few  threads,  which 
I  laid  up  again  into  a  good  strong  twine.  I  then  com 
menced  St  the  crown  of  my  straw  hat,  and  by  turning 
the  sennit  round  upon  itself  I  soon  had  that  part  com 
pleted,  for  as  I  passed  once  round,  I,  with  the  sharp  nail 
as  a  pricker,  forced  holes  through  each  part  at  distances 
of  every  two  or  three  inches  of  the  circumference,  and 
passed  my  manilla  twine  through,  knotted  it,  and  cut 
it  off  with  the  edge  of  my  clam-shell.  In  this  way,  in 
an  hour  or  two  I  had  quite  a  good  straw  hat  with  a  large 
wide  brim,  and,  although  hastily  tacked  together  instead 
of  being  sewed,  it  answered  my  purpose  admirably.  My 
hand  being  now  in,  I  made,  in  the  same  manner  and  of 
the  same  stock,  quite  a  long,  deep  bag,  which  I  fitted 
with  a  strong  manilla  string  to  pass  over  my  shoulder 
and  hang  by  my  side. 

My  next  task  was  to  get  together  plenty  of  wood  for 


54  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

my  precious  fire  during  the  night.  But  this  was  an  easy 
affair,  the  very  edge  of  the  grove  abounding  in  fallen  and 
dried  branches  of  every  kind  and  description. 

I  made  another  trip  to  the  gulls'  eggs,  equipped  in  my 
new  hat  and  with  my  bag  slung  at  my  side,  and  returned 
with  it  filled  with  as  many  as  I  desired,  and  for  contin 
gencies  I  boiled  quite  a  large  number  of  them  in  salt 
water  in  my  meat-can  over  the  fire. 

As  a  last  thing,  I  went  to  the  field  and  brought  back 
an  armful  of  grass,  which  I  strewed  under  my  cedar-tree, 
and  increased  it  with  a  large  bundle  of  dried  seaweed 
for  bed-clothing,  and  a  good-sized  stone  for  a  pillow. 
Having  completed  all  these  arrangements,  eaten  again 
of  my  gulls'  eggs  and  baked  clams,  and  carefully-attended 
to  my  fire,  I  cut  up  some  of  the  small  quantity  of  tobacco 
remaining  to  me  with  my  clam-shell,  and  placing  it  in 
my  pipe  had  a  quiet  smoke. 

By  this  time  the  sun  was  sinking  to  rest,  and  I  took 
care  to  make  the  record  of  the  day  upon  the  boat-planking, 
and  also  opened  a  calendar  account  upon  one  of  the 
branches  of  my  cedar-tree  by  means  of  my  pointed  nail 
and  clam-shell. 

As  the  dusk  came  on  I  began  to  think,  What  is  the  next 
most  important  thing  for  me  to  do  ?  My  mind  answered 
me,  Preserve  your  fire,  or  invent  means  so  that  you  can 
light  it  without  trouble.  I  should  say  that  I  had  already 
burned  a  piece  of  the  cotton  lining  of  my  trousers,  and 
carefully  preserved  it  between  two  clean,  large  sea-clam 
shells  for  tinder. 


END    OF   THE   SECOND   DAY.  55 

I  thought  that  I  saw  my  way  clear  to  protect  my  fire 
on  the  morrow,  and  also  to  give  myself  some  weapons  of 
offence,  and  after  having  asked  God's  pity  upon  my  con 
dition  I  dropped  asleep  in  my  seaweed  bed,  thinking  of 
these  things,  with  my  fire  near  by  me  well  covered  up 
with  ashes. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Build  fireplace.    Make  knife  aud  spear  from  anchor.    Build  tower  of  stones 
for  perpetual  lamps.    Resolve  to  explore  the  island. 

I  SLEPT  soundly  and  pleasantly  all  night,  and  jumped 
out  of  bed  in  the  .early  morning  light,  ran  to  the  beach, 
and  had  a  nice  plunge  in  the  smooth  and  sparkling  waters. 
Just  as  I  was  about  to  leave  the  water  I  espied  two 
or  three  quite  large  dog-fish  sharks,  which  were  four  or 
five  feet  in  length,  and,  although  I  had  no  fears  of  them 
as  concerned  myself,  they  immediately  gave  me  an  idea 
of  how  I  could  utilize  them  could  I  succeed  in  capturing 
them.  I  ran  back  to  the  bank,  got  into  my  clothes,  and, 
you  may  be  well  sure,  knew  that  the  fire  was  all  right 
even  before  I  started  to  bathe ;  ran  again  to  the  seaside 
and  dug  a  few  clams,  and  filled  the  bailer  with  salt  water, 
and  soon  had  my  usual  meal  of  boiled  eggs  and  roast 
clams  under  way.  Whilst  my  breakfast  was  cooking  I 
commenced  building,  and  completed  a  superior  kind  of 
fireplace,  with  nice,  strong  sides  of  stone,  set  up  on  edge, 
and  just  w ide  enough  apart  to  sustain  my  condenser.  After 
having  eaten  my  breakfast,  quenched  my  thirst,  and  had 
a  good,  quiet  smoke,  I  set  the  fresh-water  apparatus  to 
work  again,  and  commenced  to  apply  myself  to  the  task 
56 


THE  BLACKSMITH'S  SHOP.  57 

of  the  day.  With  my  clam-shell  I  cut  the  manilla  warp 
from  the  anchor,  and  the  latter  lay  before  me  under  my 
fixed  gaze.  I  saw  that  the  stock,  which  was  of  iron  also, 
was  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  solid  iron  forming  the 
shank  of  the  anchor,  and  was  retained  by  a  shoulder  on 
one  side  and  a  large  ball  at  the  extremity  of  its  arm  on 
the  other.  My  first  attempt  was  to  unship  this  iron  stock 
or  arm  from  the  rest  of  the  anchor,  and  release  it  from 
the  hole  through  which  it  was  rove  and  kept  in  place. 
To  effect  this  I  set  up  in  the  sand  a  large  stone,  with 
quite  a  flat,  smooth  top,  as  my  anvil,  and  procured  another, 
of  an  oblong,  irregular  shape,  which  I  could  grasp  with 
my  right  hand,  and  with  which  I  could  strike  quite  a 
powerful  blow,  as  my  hammer.  Thus  equipped,  I  started 
a  nice  fire  in  my  new  fireplace  and  put  the  condenser  on 
that,  leaving  me  the  open  fire  for  my  blacksmith's  shop. 
I  next  went  to  the  beach  and  got  a  piece  of  kelp,  and 
with  my  clam-shell  cut  it  into  suitable  lengths  for  my  pur 
pose,  and,  thrusting  the  ball  at  the  end  of  the  anchor- 
stock  into  the  fire,  I  commenced  operations. 

To  increase  the  heat  of  the  fire  I  piled  on  the  sort  of 
semi-charcoal  that  had  been  formed  by  the  wood  covered 
in  the  ashes  the  night  before,  and  sprinkled  the  same 
carefully  with  a  little  water,  and  to  still  further  promote 
affairs  I  thrust  one  end  of  my  pieces  of  kelp  under  the 
warm  ashes,  towards  the  bottom  and  centre  of  the  fire, 
and  by  putting  the  other  end  to  my  lips  I  forced  a  blast 
of  air  through  the  flames  as  nicely  as  if  I  had  had  a  pair 


58  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

of  bellows.  The  iron  soon  became  red-hot,  and,  snatch 
ing  it  out  of  the  tire  and  on  to  my  anvil,  I,  by  a  few  well- 
directed  blows,  soon  had  the  ball  reduced  so  as  to  be  able 
to  unship  the  stock  from  the  rest  of  the  anchor,  and  held 
in  my  hand  a  bar  of  iron  about  an  inch  in  diameter  and 
three  feet  long ;  quite  a  weapon  in  itself,  but  not  sufficient 
for  such  a  mechanic  as  I  was. 

I  took  this  bar  of  iron,  and,  putting  the  end  again  in  the 
fire,  commenced  upon  my  kelp  bellows,  and  soon  pulled  it 
out,  quite  hot  and  malleable.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  not 
a  very  long  space  of  time,  and  by  repeated  beatings  and 
hammerings,  I  had  fashioned  out  quite  a  respectable  knife, 
of  about  eight  inches  in  length  and  at  least  quarter  of  an 
inch  thick  in  the  back;  and  although  the  sides  were 
a  little  wavy  and  irregular,  I  knew  that  grinding  would 
nearly  take  that  out.  Whilst  the  knife  that  I  had  made 
was  still  fastened  to  the  original  bar  of  iron  I  drew  it 
down  to  a  long,  thin  point,  and  by  grasping  it  and 
bending  it  to  the  right  and  left  soon  had  it  free. 

My  next  task  was  to  temper  this  piece  of  metal,  and  by 
repeatedly  plunging  it  into  water  and  back  into  the  fire  I 
soon  got  it  quite  hard,  and  fit  for  my  present  purposes. 
I  sought  out  a  coarse-grained  stone,  and  with  my  tin 
of  water  sat  down  to  moisten  it  and  grind  my  knife  to  an 
edge.  I  passed  several  hours  at  this  work,  but  in  the 
end  found  myself  possessed  of  quite  a  good-looking 
knife,  with  a  good  sharp  point  and  fair  edge.  I  picked 
up  a  suitable  piece  of  wood  for  a  handle,  and  soon  had  it 


KNIFE,   HAMMEK,   AND   SPEAK.  59 

in  shape,  and,  slightly  heating  the  pointed,  unfinished 
end,  I  drove  it  home  with  a  stone  firmly  into  the  handle} 
and  my  knife  was  done.  Pleased  enough  was  I  with  my 
success;  but  I  did  not  stop  here.  The  hole  in  the 
shank  of  the  anchor,  whence  I  had  drawn  the  stock,  fas 
cinated  me.  I  saw  before  me  a  hammer  of  iron,  all  ready 
made  to  my  hand.  I  thrust  the  anchor  into  the  fire  just 
below  this  hole,  towards  the  flukes,  and  set  my  kelp  bel 
lows  to  work  with  a  will.  After  repeated  heatings  and 
poundings  I  had  brought  the  iron  down  to  so  small  a  size 
that  I  was  able,  as  before,  to  part  it  from  the  original  bar, 
by  bending  it  backward  and  forward  till  the  crystallization 
of  the  iron  was  destroyed,  exactly  as  you  break  off  a  nail 
by  hitting  it  with  a  hammer  a  few  times  in  opposite 
directions.  I  had  to  get  the  ring  off  at  the  end  of  the 
anchor  in  the  same  manner,  and  then  found  myself  in 
possession  of  a  piece  of  iron  almost  exactly  like  what  we 
sailors  call  a  top-maul,  a  flat-headed  hammer  with  a  long- 
end.  I  speedily  fitted  this  with  a  good,  strong  handle, 
and,  after  beating  it  and  tempering  it  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  put  it  into  use  at  once.  Taking  the  bar  from 
which  I  had  made  my  knife  I  soon  made  it  take  the  shape 
of  a  kind  of  spear,  or  rather  harpoon,  with  a  sharp,  flat 
head,  similar  to  those  arrows  always  printed  on  charts  to 
show  the  direction  of  currents  or  winds. 

This,  when  finished,  tempered,  ground,  and  lashed 
firmly  to  a  smooth  staff  of  wood,  some  two  inches  in 
diameter  and  eight  feet  in  length,  was  really  a  formidable 
weapon,  either  for  offence  or  defence. 


60  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

Armed  with  my  harpoon  and  knife,  I  made  my  way  to 
the  seaside,  having  still  another  project  in  my  head. 
Proud,  indeed,  was  I  of  my  weapons,  and  my  natural 
courage  was  increased.  I  took  off  my  clothes  and  waded 
quietly  into  the  water,  and  had  not  long  to  wait  till 
I  saw  some  of  my  friends  the  dog-sharks,  and  picking  out 
one  that  suited  me,  —  for  I  had  no  difficulty  in  approach 
ing  them,  they  showing  no  fear  of  me,  —  I  thrust  my 
harpoon  into  him,  and  dragged  him  ashore,  cut  him  open 
with  my  knife,  took  out  his  liver,  and  dragged  back  the 
carcase  into  the  sea.  I  served  three  of  them  in  this  man 
ner.  From  the  last  one  —  which  was  the  largest  and  had 
a  beautiful  skin  —  I  cut  a  large  strip,  out  of  which  to 
make  a  case  for  my  knife,  which  I  did  whilst  it  was 
green,  fitting  it  nicely,  and  also  a  small  tip  to  cover  the 
barbs  of  my  harpoon  when  not  in  use.  I  sewed  these  up, 
or,  rather,  fastened  them  by  means  of  a  bradawl  sharp 
ened  in  the  fire  from  one  of  the  boat  nails,  tempered  and 
fitted  with  a  handle,  and  nice,  strong  thread  made  from 
my  manilla  rope.  I  brought  back  with  me  to  the  fire 
place  quite  a  good-sized  flounder,  that  I  had  also  speared 
without  the  slightest  trouble,  and  it  was  soon  cut  up  and 
broiling  away  for  my  dinner,  it  being  now  about  noon.  I 
hung  my  shark  livers  in  the  sun,  upon  a  tree,  a  little  dis 
tant  from  my  camp,  where  they  would  not  offend  me,  and 
placed  myself  at  table,  the  fish  being  now  cooked,  and 
plenty  of  cold  boiled  eggs  on  hand. 

I  could  spare  no  time  for  much  dinner.     My  condenser 


DESTRUCTION    OF   THE   CHAKT.  61 

had  been  taken  off  long  ago  in  the  forenoon,  my  two  meat- 
cans  being  full  of  water.  After  dinner  I  stopped  to  take 
a  few  whiffs  at  my  pipe,  and  then  to  work  again,  for  I 
had  much  to  do  ere  the  setting  of  the  sun.  In  the  first 
place  I  proceeded  to  the  right  of  my  camp  a  short  dis 
tance,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  picking  up  as  many  large 
shells  as  I  desired,  some  of  them  being  fully  a  foot  in  cir 
cumference,  and  beautiful  enough,  with  their  pink,  open 
mouths,  to  ornament  the  table  of  any  lady.  I  gathered 
together  some  fifteen  or  twenty  of  these,  and  transported 
them  to  the  seaside,  and  thence  to  my  camp,  having 
washed  them  out  carefully,  and  ascertaining  that  they 
would  each  hold  about  a  quart  or  more  of  water.  I  then 
set  my  condenser  hard  at  work,  determined  to  get  a  supply 
ahead  of  any  contingency. 

For  my  next  task  I  got  hold  of  the  breaker  that  con 
tained  my  books  and  charts,  and  by  means  of  my  hammer 
soon  had  the  hoops  off  and  the  head  out.  But  I  was 
mortified  to  see  that  a  little  water  had  worked  into  the 
cask,  and  that  the  motion  of  the  boat  had  caused  the 
books,  in  moving  to  and  fro,  to  completely  destroy  the 
chart,  and,  with  the  little  water  that  had  entered,  reduced 
it  to  a  pulp  and  beyond  recognition  and  repair.  Tears 
started  into  my  eyes  at  this  cruel  blow  of  fate,  and  it  was 
with  the  greatest  anxiety  that  I  seized  upon  the  books 
and  examined  them.  Their  strong  canvas  covers  had 
preserved  them,  and  although  battered,  chafed,  and  damp 
they  seemed  intact,  —  all  except  the  Nautical  Almanac, 


62  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

which  had  suffered  somewhat  in  different  portions,  to 
what  extent  I  had  now  no  time  to  examine  minutely. 
My  Compendium  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  Bow- 
ditch's  Navigator,  were,  at  least,  saved,  and  these  were  a 
library  and  tower  of  strength  in  themselves.  I  put  the 
three  books  carefully  in  the  sun,  where  they  might  dry, 
and,  after  heading  up  the  breaker  again  and  setting  on 
the  hoops  strongly  and  firmly,  I  went  back  to  where  I  had 
gathered  my  shells  and  fastened  on  to  one  that  I  had 
before  discovered,  that  would  hold  many  gallons,  —  it  is 
called,  I  think,  sometimes,  a  sea  oyster.  With  this  bur 
den  I  struggled  along  to  my  tree  where  I  had  hung  the 
sharks'  livers,  and  placed  this  huge  basin  under  them  to 
catch  the  dripping  oil ;  and,  as  I  did  not  expect  much 
result  for  a  day  or  two,  I  cut  off  a  portion  of  one  of  the 
livers  and  took  it  to  my  fireside  and  carefully  tried  it  out 
in  small  pieces,  in  numerous  clam-shells,  and  poured  the 
oil  thus  obtained  into  one  of  my  shell  reservoirs. 

My  next  task  was  to  go  back  into  my  grass-field  and 
gather  some  of  the  clayey  earth  that  I  had  noticed  there, 
and  to  bring  it  in  my  hat  to  the  camp,  getting  a  sufficient 
quantity  in  two  trips.  With  this  clayey  earth  I  mixed 
pounded-up  clam-shells  and  a  small  quantity  of  seaweed, 
fine  sand,  and  water.  Then,  near  my  cedar-tree,  and  pro 
tected  by  it,  I  built  a  tower  of  flat  stones,  using  this 
material  as  mortar.  I  built  it  in  a  circular  form,  of  about 
two  feet  in  diameter,  and  perhaps  three  feet  high.  At 
the  bottom  I  left  interstices  every  once  in  a  while,  varying 


THE  LAMP-TO  WEK.  63 

in  size,  but  none  of  them  larger  than  a  half  inch  in 
diameter.  Towards  the  top  I  left  the  same  kind  of  air 
holes,  but  rather  larger  in  size.  On  one  side,  about  half 
way  up,  I  left  two  stones  so  that  they  could  be  taken  out 
by  hand  and  replaced,  and  when  taken  out  would  leave 
quite  a  large  aperture,  large  enough  to  put  my  arm  into 
and  explore  the  interior.  In  the  exact  centre  of  this  stone 
circular  tower  I  drove  a  strong  stake,  standing  at  least 
three  feet  higher  than  the  walls,  and  by  means  of  sedge, 
rushes,  manilla  twine,  and  large  leaves  I  made  the 
pointed  top  —  of  which  this  stake  was  the  apex,  and  the 
top  of  the  circular  wall  the  base  —  completely  waterproof, 
the  sedge  projecting  beyond  the  walls  in  every  direction. 
Within  this  tower  I  placed  my  flint-stone,  steel,  and 
tinder,  and  upon  four  smooth  stones  that  I  placed  inside 
I  fitted  up  on  each  a  large  sea-clam  shell  full  of  shark's- 
liver  oil,  and  from  milkweed  pods  provided  each  of  them 
with  a  soft,  cottony  wick,  which  I  lighted,  and  then  closed 
the  aperture.  By  peeping  through  the  interstices  I 
could  see  that  my  lamps  burned  splendidly,  and  by  blow 
ing  I  was  unable  to  get  up  any  current  inside.  My 
gigantic  lantern  was  made.  If  my  fire  should  go  out, 
my  flint  and  steel  fail  me,  here  was  perpetual  light.  I 
placed  four  lights  within,  so  that  in  case  the  roof  should 
leak  a  drop  in  a  heavy  rain,  some  one  or  two  of  the 
shells  would  run  a  chance  of  not  being  put  out.  I  did  not 
intend  to  allow  my  fire  to  go  out  this  night,  but  to  burn 
the  lamps  as  a  test  only  of  how  much  oil  they  would  need, 


64  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

and  how  they  would  appear  in  the  morning,  so  as  to  know 
what  to  expect  should  I  leave  them  for  any  length  of  time. 

Fixing  my  lamp-tower  and  pouring  the  condensed 
water  into  the  breaker,  getting  wood  for  the  fire,  and  my 
other  labors,  had  made  the  day  a  hard  one ;  but  as  the  sun 
went  down,  and  I  supped  upon  the  remains  of  my  fish 
warmed  up,  and  the  inevitable  eggs,  and  enjoyed  my  pipe, 
I  could  but  think  of  how  far  I  had  advanced  even  in  one 
twenty-four  hours.  Weapons  by  my  side,  a  breaker  full 
of  fresh  water,  and  perpetual  light  in  a  waterproof  tower 
beside  me.  With  the  deepening  shadows  came,  however, 
the  bitter  feelings  of  desolation  and  solitude,  mingled 
with  the  uncertainty  of  the  magnitude  of  my  island,  and 
the  impossibility  of  my  being  able,  except  by  explora 
tion,  to  prove  it  uninhabited. 

During  this  day  my  heart  jumped  into  my  mouth  many 
times  when  I  heard  the  least  unusual  noise,  or,  carelessly 
glancing  up,  mistook  every  tree  for  a  savage.  My  com 
plete  freedom  from  any  annoyance  up  to  the  present  time 
was  in  itself  satisfactory  to  my  mind,  and  strong  proba 
ble  reason  that  the  island  was  unpeopled.  Then  its 
unknown  position  —  for  I  felt  convinced  that  there  was 
no  known  land  where  I  was  now  sitting  —  improved  the 
probabilities.  I  foresaw  that  my  next  task  would  be  the 
exploration  of  the  island  and  a  search  for  fresh  water; 
and,  wondering  what  the  future  would  bring  forth,  I  rolled 
drowsily  over  into  my  seaweed  bed,  and  dropped  asleep 
in  the  very  act. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Improve  my  lamp-tower.  Make  a  bow  ami  arrow,  and  fisli-hooks  and 
lines.  Capture  a  large  turtle.  Improve  my  steel  and  flint,  and  build  a 
hut.  Procure  some  salt,  and  make  arrangements  to  explore  the  island 
on  the  morrow. 

I  AKOSE  at  sunrise  and  found  another  lovely  day  com 
mencing.  God  had  blessed  me  with  pleasant  weather 
each  day  so  far.  I  went  first  to  my  calendar,  and  with 
the  point  of  my  knife  inscribed  the  day  and  date,  as  usual ; 
thence  to  my  lamp-tower,  and  found  all  the  lamps  burn 
ing  splendidly,  but  with  not  oil  enough  to  have  lasted 
more  than  two  or  three  hours  more.  I  foresaw  that  I 
must  get  a  much  larger  and  more  shallow  dish  to  have 
any  certainty  of  keeping  them  alight  for  any  length  of 
time  without  replenishing  them  each  morning  and  night. 
The  principle  upon  which  they  were  built  was  exactly 
that  which  I  had  often  observed  in  the  northern  part  of 
China,  where  the  Chinese  burn  peanut  oil  in  exactly 
the  same  way  in  shallow  dishes,  with  a  pith  wick  hang 
ing  over  the  side.  The  principle  involved  necessitated 
a  shallow  dish,  and  that  the  wick  should  be  in  nearly  a 
horizontal  position,  to  suck  up  the  oil  to  its  end  which 
projected  over  the  side  of  the  clam-shell.  If  the  reser 
voir  for  the  oil  was  deep  instead  of  shallow,  the  receding 

65 


66  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

of  the  oil  as  it  was  consumed  by  the  wick  would  soon 
let  the  lamp  go  out.  I  saw  that  I  should  have  to  improve 
upon  my  lamp  business,  and  concluded  to  work  out  the 
problem  whilst  taking  my  morning  bath  and  breakfast. 
As  I  started  towards  the  beach,  I  saw  at  a  little  distance 
to  my  left  a  huge  turtle,  the  first  I  had  seen,  making  for 
the  sea.  I  ran  with  my  utmost  speed,  and  contrived  to 
upset  him  upon  his  back  before  he  had  reached  it,  and 
soon  dragged  him  to  my  fireplace,  and,  although  still 
upon  his  back,  for  fear  of  any  accident  or  escape,  at  once 
beheaded  him  then  and  there.  I  then  quietly  took  off  my 
clothes  and  had  my  usual  bath,  taking  care,  however, 
not  to  go  out  of  my  depth,  as  I  saw  several  dog-fish 
sharks,  and  possibly  larger  ones  of  their  species  might 
be  in  the  bay,  but,  from  its  shallowness,  I  did  not  much 
think  it.  Whilst  bathing,  I  solved  my  problem  about 
the  lamps,  and  returned  in  good  spirits  to  my  fire  and 
clothes,  and  soon  had  a  nice  turtle  soup  boiling  and  a 
steak  of  the  same  broiling  upon  the  embers. 

This  turtle  was  a  godsend,  and  was  just  what  I  needed 
to  change  my  diet.  I  made  a  hearty  meal,  and  with 
reluctance  cut  into  the  small  piece  of  tobacco  left  me  and 
filled  my  pipe,  and  had  a  short  smoke,  and  then  to  work. 
I  took  two  of  my  largest  conch-shells,  that  would  hold 
nearly  a  quart  a-piece,  and  filled  the  lips  up  with  my 
mortar  that  I  had  used  the  day  before  in  the  construction 
of  the  lamp-tower,  leaving  an  orifice  at  the  larger  end, 
of  sufficient  size  to  pour  liquid  into  easily,  and  one  at  the 


CAPTURING   A  TURTLE.  — PAGE  G6. 


OIL  EESBRVOIES.  67 

smaller  end  very  small  indeed.  I  then  thrust  both  of  the 
shells  into  the  hot  embers,  and  hardened  the  mortar  or 
cement  so  that  it  was  soon  dry  and  compact.  I  then 
went  to  my  grass-field  and  chose  some  minute  grass- 
straws  of  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  inserted  two  in  the 
small  orifice  of  each  shell,  and  fixed  them  in  with  moist 
cement.  I  then  went  to  my  lamp-tower,  took  the  roof 
carefully  off,  and  with  a  base  of  stones,  and  by  means  of 
twine  with  which  I  fastened  them  to  the  central  stake, 
soon  had  my  shells  lashed  and  secured  in  an  upright  posi 
tion,  with  the  four  straws  pointing  into  the  four  clam-shell 
lamps.  I  then  went  with  my  bailer  to  the  large  sea- 
oyster  shell  and  dipped  up  the  oil  that  had  distilled  under 
the  rays  of  the  sun  from  the  dog-sharks'  livers,  and  in 
several  trips  filled  my  shell-reservoirs  with  oil,  and  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  each  straw  dropping  oil  into  the 
clam-shell  lamp  beneath.  The  dropping  being  rather 
fast,  I  easily  regulated  it  by  thrusting  seaweed  stoppers 
into  the  upper  orifice  of  the  shells  till  the  feeding  was 
very  slow,  but  very  perfect  and  exact.  I  felt  now  that  I 
could  leave  my  tower,  days  without  care,  and  be  sure  of 
finding  the  lamps  burning  upon  my  return.  I  carefully 
replaced  the  roof,  lighted  the  lamps  again,  and  made  all 
snug  and  secure.  I  did  all  this  work  about  the  lamps  to 
make  myself  doubly  sure  of  always  having  fire.  I  was 
well  aware  that  with  my  hardened  knife  I  could  strike 
fire  much  better  than  I  at  first  did  with  my  shoe-nail,  but 
I  wanted  to  be  sure  and  take  every  precaution,  and  to 


68  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

that  end  I  went  to  work  upon  the  nails  in  the  boat-plank 
ing,  and,  finding  one  to  my  mind,  I  flattened  it  out  at  my 
anvil  into  a  narrow  ribbon  of  iron,  which  I  hardened  and 
steeled  in  the  fire  and  water ;  and,  after  carefully  testing 
it  with  my  flint,  which,  by  the  way,  I  broke  into  several 
fragments,  I  put  it  and  a  piece  of  the  flint  into  my 
pocket,  and  returned  the  remaining  fragments  with 
another  nail,  hardened  and  heated  in  the  same  manner, 
to  the  custody  of  the  lamp-tower.  I  took  thence  a  small 
quantity  of  the  burned  tinder  I  had  made  of  my  clothing, 
some  of  the  nigger-ball  powder,  and  cotton  of  the  milk 
weed,  and  taking  one  of  the  numerous  pods  of  last  year's 
growth  that  I  had  gathered  of  these,  and  also  stored 
there  out  of  the  rain,  I  split  it  lengthwise  with  my  knife, 
and  removed  most  of  the  core  and  Cotton,  and  in  its 
place  inserted  the  tinder  and  powder  that  I  have  just 
mentioned,  and  secured  the  whole  together  by  winding 
round  about  it  some  manilla  twine ;  and,  not  satisfied  with 
that,  I  cut  a  small  piece  from  my  flannel  shirt  and 
wrapped  that  also  about  it,  and  secured  it  with  twine. 
Thus  I  carried  on  my  person  the  means  of  starting  a  fire 
at  any  time;  and,  feeling  secure,  I  allowed  myself  to 
throw  this  terrible  fear  off  my  mind. 

All  my  energies  were  pointing  to  one  direction,  —  to  be 
able  to  arm  and  equip  myself,  so  as  to  make  the  tour  of 
my  island  as  speedily  as  possible ;  but  I  foresaw  that,  with 
my  utmost  speed  and  care,  I  should  not  be  able  to  be 
ready  to  start  until  the  morrow,  if  then.  I  went  into  my 


MAKING  BOW  AND  ARROWS.  69 

grass-field  and  passed  beyond  it  into  the  natural  under 
growth  of  trees,  and  soon  had  picked  out  exactly  what  I 
wanted,  a  sort  of  ash  or  walnut  tree,  evidently  dead  some 
time  since  from  some  cause,  the  limbs  of  which  I  tested 
and  found  of  the  right  elasticity.  I  cut  off  with  my 
knife  several  portions  that  suited  my  purpose,  and  return 
ing  to  my  fire,  I  soon  had  a  handsome  bow  of  fine  elas 
ticity,  some  six  feet  in  length,  finished  to  my  hand.  From 
a  lighter  kind  of  wood,  a  sort  of  alder,  I  manufactured 
without  much  difficulty  some  half-dozen  arrows,  and 
sharpened  and  hardened  as  many  nails  to  form  heads  for 
them,  which  I  securely  lashed  on  with  fine  manilla  twine. 
I  then  proceeded  to  my  gulls'  nests  retreat,  and  picked  up 
such  feathers  as  I  thought  might  suit  me,  and  also  brought 
back  a  load  of  fresh  eggs  in  my  bag. 

I  then  took  off  my  clothes  again  and  waded  into  the  sea 
with  my  harpoon,  and  soon  had  on  shore  one  of  my  dog- 
shark  friends,  and  his  bladder  and  fins  in  a  short  time  in 
my  bailer  over  a  slow  fire,  for  I  wanted  some  glue  badly. 
I  took  occasion,  whilst  this  was  preparing,  to  thoroughly 
oil  my  bow  and  arrows  and  to  wipe  them  off  nice  and 
clean  again  with  leaves  and  seaweed. 

I  soon  had  plenty  of  glue,  and  of  a  good  quality  also, 
which  I  poured  out  into  a  large  clam-sl*ell,  and  filled  my 
bailer  again  with  water  to  boil  and  cleanse  it  out.  I  then 
proceeded  with  great  care  to  lay  up  three  strands  of  fine 
manilla,  about  ten  feet  long  each,  and  made  each  of  them 
fast  to  a  tree  near  each  other ;  and,  stretched  as  they  were 


70  PEKSEVEKANCE  ISLAND. 

in  this  manner,  I  saturated  them  with  the  liquid  glue,  and 
then  brought  them  together  and  laid  them  up  right-handed, 
so  as  to  make  a  very  fine-looking  and  strong  bowstring, 
with  which  I  was  delighted.  By  means  of  the  glue  I 
easily  fitted  each  arrow  with  three  nice  feathers,  and  I  also 
dipped  the  seizing  round  the  heads,  that  held  on  the  iron 
barbs,  into  the  same,  which  gave  them  a  fine  finish  and 
smoothed  down  all  the  standing  fibres  of  the  manilla 
twine,  making  all  "  ship-shape  and  Bristol  fashion,"  as 
sailors  say. 

Whilst  my  hand  was  in  I  made  also  a  fishing-line  of 
great  strength  and  of  considerable  length,  and  managed 
to  forge  out  two  quite  respectable  fish-hooks  from  the 
wrought  nails  of  the  boat's  planking.  I  took  my  usual 
meal  at  noon,  but  it  was  of  delicious  turtle  soup,  instead 
of  fish,  clams,  or  eggs,  none  of  which  did  I,  however,  by 
any  means  despise.  After  dinner  I  sat  down  and  sharp 
ened  and  perfected  the  points  of  my  arrow-heads  and  fish 
hooks.  I  was  not  able  to  make  any  barbs  to  the  latter,  but 
had  to  run  the  risk,  when  I  hooked  a  fish,  never  to  let  him 
have  any  slack  line  till  he  was  landed. 

Having  finished  these  various  labors  and  looked  after  my 
condenser,  I  commenced  another  round  tower  similar  to 
the  one  already  built,  and  near  to  it.  I  wanted  a  place  of 
safety  for  books,  and  with  the  stones  at  hand  and  some 
new  mixed  mortar,  or  cement,  I  in  a  few  hours  completed 
my  task,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them  in  safety 
from  rain  or  damp.  I  was  afraid  to  put  them  in  the  lamp- 


HUT-BUILDING.  71 

tower  for  fear  of  their  catching  fire  in  some  unforeseen 
manner,  and  I  would  not  risk  the  chance,  however  remote 
it  might  be. 

This  being  finished,  I  went  to  the  wood  and  cut  down 
with  my  knife  several  small  trees,  about  six  feet  in  height, 
leaving  a  crotch  like  the  letter  Y  at  the  top  of  each.  I 
brought  these  near  my  cedar-tree,  and  with  my  hammer 
drove  them  into  the  ground,  so  that  they  stood  at  an  equal 
height  of  about  four  feet  in  the  front  row  and  one  foot 
in  the  rear  row.  I  stopped  this  work  for  a  season  to  fill 
the  bailer,  which  I  had  cleansed  of  the  glue,  with  salt 
water,  and  let  it,  during  the  afternoon,  gradually  boil  down 
several  times,  till  I  had  collected  quite  a  quantity  of  salt. 
After  attending  to  this,  I  returned  to  my  hut-building, 
and  soon  had  the  uprights  crossed  with  light  sticks  and 
branches,  and  upon  these  I  placed  large  masses  of  sedge 
as  thatch,  which  I  kept  in  place  by  numerous  flat  stones 
that  I  placed  upon  the  roof.  I  wove  into  both  the  long 
sides,  and  one  end,  some  mnnilla  strands  and  pliable  small 
branches,  working  them  in  and  out  in  a  horizontal  posi 
tion  and  at  right  angles  to  the  uprights.  To  this  rough 
basket  work,  or  trellis,  I  bound,  by  means  of  more  manilla 
strands,  large  bundles  of  sedge,  till  I  had  a  nice  hut  of 
about  eight  feet  in  length  and  six  wide,  with  one  end  left 
open  some  two  feet  wide,  and  the  roof  four  feet  high  on 
one  side  fronting  the  sea  and  two  feet  high  on  the  land 
side.  Into  this  hut  I  carried  all  my  few  earthly  treasures, 
and  made  me  a  nice  bed  of  seaweed  and  sedge  on  one 


72  PERSE VEKANCE  ISLAND. 

side,  and  with  a  large  clam-shell  and  the  flukes  of  the  anchor 
cut  out  a  nice  trench  round  about  it>  under  the  overhang 
ing  eaves,  and  piled  the  spare  earth  up  against  the  sides 
of  the  hut.  I  was  proud  of  my  wTork.  After  everything 
was  all  finished  to  my  satisfaction,  I  sat  down  to  a  hearty 
meal,  and,  being  too  tired  even  to  smoke,  I  pulled  a  small 
cedar-tree  that  I  had  cut  down  for  the  purpose,  against 
the  opening  in  the  end  of  my  hut,  from  the  inside,  and 
threw  myself  upon  my  seaweed  bed,  and  fell  instantly  to 
sleep. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Rainy  day.  Reflections  concerning  climate,  season  of  the  year,  tides,  etc. 
Plant  several  varieties  of  my  seeds.  Make  a  pocket  compass,  and  prepare 
for  my  exploration  of  the  island. 

"  Man  proposes,  but  God  disposes."  This  was  what  I 
thought  when  I  woke  in  the  morning  and  looked  out  upon 
a  foggy,  drizzling  day;  not  very  much  wind,  but  a  regular 
Scotch  mist,  and  with  every  look  of  settling  into  a  real 
downright  rain.  I  could  not  well  complain,  for  I  had 
been  blessed  with  pleasant  weather  since  my  arrival,  and 
it  was  but  natural  that  all  days  should  not  be  as  pleasant ; 
and  the  fast-approaching  appearance  of  rain  delighted  me 
in  another  sense,  for  I  was  not  at  all  sure  about  my  sup 
ply  of  fresh  water,  and  I  was  not  sorry  to  see  that  the 
island  was  visited  with  rain,  which  I  foresaw  that  in  the 
future  I  could  utilize  should  all  other  methods  fail.  My 
nautical  experience  had  been  correct ;  in  less  than  an  hour 
the  rain  fell  freely,  and  the  wind  got  up  quite  strong  from 
the  northward  and  eastward.  I  saw  that  I  must  put  aside 
all  idea  of  exploring  my  island  for  this  day,  and  I  was  not 
sorry,  as  I  had  several  things  that  I  desired  to  complete 
first,  and  my  great  fear  of  not  being  able  to  obtain  plenty 
of  water  of  a  good  quality  was  fast  being  dissipated.  I 

73 


74  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

got  to  my  fire  and  started  it  briskly,  so  that  it  would  not 
be  disturbed  by  the  rain,  and  for  more  security  lighted  a 
small  one  inside  my  hut  under  cover,  so  as  to  run  no 
risks  at  all.  Although  I  felt  confident  that  I  had  the 
means  at  present  of  starting  a  new  fire  at  any  time,  I  was 
morbid  on  this  subject,  and  could  not  prevail  upon  my 
self  to  allow  any  of  the  three  flames  to  be  extinguished, 
namely,  the  lamps,  the  regular  fire,  and  the  small  one  in 
my  hut,  so  fearful  was  I  about  it.  Up  to  the  present 
time  fire  was  not  only  fire  to  me,  but  it  was  water.  Once 
secure  concerning  the  latter  I  felt  that  I  could  allow  my 
fires  to  go  out  with  better  faith.  I  found  during  this  day 
my  hut  a  great  comfort,  and  blessed  my  stars  that  I  had 
completed  it  so  luckily  before  this  storm  commenced. 
The  rain  was  not  cold,  being  from  the  direction  of  the 
equator;  and  I  therefore,  throughout  the  day,  moved 
about  in  it  in  my  flannel  shirt  and  drawers,  with  my 
broad-brimmed  hat  and  shoes  and  stockings,  leaving  my 
other  clothing  dry  in  the  hut.  I  was  pleased  to  observe 
that  the  thatching  was  a  perfect  success,  and  the  interior 
as  dry  and  nice  as  possible.  My  first  task  was  to  go  and 
get  the  other  half  of  the  sea-oyster  shell  that  I  had  placed 
under  my  shark's  livers  and  bring  it  near  the  house.  I 
had  no  fears  of  the  rain  interfering  with  the  former,  for  I 
knew  that,  although  exposed,  the  rain  would  not  mix  with 
the  oil,  but  would,  if  anything,  purify  it,  and  that  I  could 
easily  skim  off  every  particle  with  a  clam-shell  when  the 
weather  became  again  clear.  Having  got  my  sea-oyster 


CLIMATE   OF   THE   ISLAND.  75 

shell,  which  would  hold  some  gallons,  placed  under  one 
of  the  dripping  eaves  of  my  hut,  I  sat  down  to  breakfast, 
which  I  made  very  pleasantly  of  turtle  steaks  and  eggs. 
After  breakfast  I  drew  forth  from  my  trousers  pocket  my 
precious  piece  of  tobacco,  and  looked  with  grief  at  its 
diminished  proportions,  but,  urged  on  by  solitude  and  the 
rain,  I  could  not  resist  filling  my  pipe  and  taking  a  good 
long  smoke.  Whilst  smoking,  the  following  thoughts  of 
what  I  had  seen,  and  what  I  might  expect  ran  through 
my  head,  and  I  repeated  them  to  myself  to  fix  them  in 
my  memory,  so  that  they  might  serve  me  in  the  future. 
In  the  first  place  I  calculated  that  this  day,  the  thirteenth 
of  November,  must  in  this  part  of  the  world  represent  the 
thirteenth  of  May  in  the  northern  hemisphere,  and  that 
therefore  I  was  in  the  very  spring-time  of  the  year,  and 
at  a  proper  season  to  plant  some  of  my  seeds  and  note  the 
result.  Although  I  did  not  know  how  far  south  I  was, 
still  I  knew  within  a  degree  or  so  by  the  reckoning  that  I 
had  on  board  of  the  "  Good  Luck."  I  felt  assured  that  I 
was  somewhere  between  the  fortieth  and  forty-fifth 
parallel  of  latitude,  and  that  the  climate  must  therefore 
be  somewhat  like  that  of  countries  situated  between  the 
same  parallels  of  north  latitude,  like  that  of  England, 
France,  or  the  New  England  States  of  America,  Knowing 
this  I  had  a  sort  of  general  knowledge  of  what  seeds  would 
probably  prosper,  and  also  what  kind  of  a  winter  I  might 
expect.  Surrounded  as  I  was,  as  I  suspected,  by  water,  I 
thought  that  the  winter  ought  to  be  milder  than  those  of 


76  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  northern  hemisphere,  and  for  the  same  reason  the 
summers  milder.  I  remembered  that  many  fruits  would 
mature  in  England,  in  latitude  52°  north,  that  would  not 
grow  in  the  open  air  in  New  England  in  only  42°  north. 
In  imagination  I  gave  my  island  a  climate  even  milder 
than  England,  first  on  account  of  its  being  nearer  the 
equator,  and  next  on  account  of  its,  as  I  supposed,  small 
extent,  completely  surrounded  by  water.  I  was  also 
led  to  this  belief  by  the  balmy,  spring-like,  and  warm  air 
of  the  days  I  had  already  passed  upon  the  island,  and  the 
advancement  in  vegetation  that  I  saw  upon  all  sides  of 
me  ;  the  latter  completely  satisfying  me  that  the  springs 
must -be  very  early,  and  that  the  winters  could  not  be 
very  severe.  I  had  also  noticed  that  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  tide  was  considerable ;  I  should  say  at  a  venture  at 
least  ten  feet.  I  had  no  doubt  but  what  I  could  wade 
almost  across  the  gulf  separating  me  from  the  breakwater 
at  mean  low  tide,  at  any  rate  a  few  strokes  only  of  swim 
ming  would  be  necessary,  I  felt  convinced.  From  these 
subjects  I  passed  to  thinking  of  my  lonely  fate,  and  made 
up  my  mind  to  cross  over  again  to  the  breakwater  this 
very  day  and  examine  anew  the  scene  of  my  disaster. 
What  a  miserable  fate  was  reserved  for  me.  Here  was  I 
only  thirty-two  years  of  age,  in  the  very  prime  of  my  life, 
cut  off  from  intercourse  with  all  my  fellow-men  ;  cast 
upon  a  desert  island,  without  even  the  comforts  and  neces 
sities  that  my  predecessor  in  history  had  given  him  to  his 
hands,  with  nothing  but  the  few  miserable  trifles  that  I 


DREAD   OF   SAVAGES.  77 

have  enumerated ;  cast  on  shore,  to  care  for  myself,  pro 
tect  myself,  and  live  for  whatever  God  might  have  in 
store  for  me.  The  bitter  tears  ran  through  my  fingers  at 
the  desolate  picture  my  imagination  had  conjured  up. 
Why  was  I  punished  in  this  manner  ?  what  had  I  done 
that  I  should  be  imprisoned  in  this  solitude  ?  But  then, 
on  the  other  hand,  what  should  prevent  me  from  building 
in  the  future  a  boat  or  raft  and  escaping  from  my  prison, 
or  why  should  I  despair  of  some  day  seeing  a  vessel 
within  sight  of  my  island  that  I  could  hail  ? 

My  greatest  fear,  I  found  in  consultation  with  myself, 
was  the  fear  of  savages ;  that  the  island  was  inhabited. 
This  made  me  shudder  with  fright ;  I  felt  that  I  should 
never  rest  easy  till  I  had  explored  it  from  end  to  end ;  I 
felt  that  I  must  do  this,  and  at  the  very  earliest  moment. 
I  knew,  too,  that  I  ought  each  day  to  have  crossed  to  the 
breakwater  and  to  have  looked  for  some  passing  ship,  but 
my  fire  and  water  and  weapons  had  taken  all  my  time  and 
attention.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  attend  to  this  better  in 
future,  but  then  again  my  sailor's  knowledge  gave  me  little 
to  hope  for  from  this  source  ;  nothing  but  the  accident  of 
the  ocean,  or  exploration,  or  discovery,  would,  I  felt  con 
fident,  ever  bring  a  vessel  in  this  direction.  This  gave  me 
the  horrors  again,  for  my  mind  convinced  me  that  I  might 
live  my  lifetime  on  this  island  without  any  reasonable  hope 
of  ever  seeing  a  vessel  approach  it.  The  very  fact  of  its 
not  being  laid  down  on  any  chart  in  so  late  a  year  as  1865 
proved  to  me  conclusively  two  facts,  —  one  that  it  must  be 


78  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

quite  small  in  extent,  and  the  other  that  it  was  wholly 
and  completely,  as  I  felt  that  it  was,  out  of  the  course  of 
vessels  engaged  in  any  pursuit,  and  the  chances  of  its  dis 
covery  exceedingly  small. 

My  meditations  were  abruptly  ended  by  the  hissing  of 
the  ashes  in  the  heel  of  my  pipe,  and  I  sadly  arose  and 
placed  it  carefully  away,  and  betook  myself  to  my  labors 
for  the  day.  I  knew  that  it  must  be  at  this  time  about 
low  water,  and  as  the  clothing  I  had  on  was  already  quite 
wet,  I  started  forth,  without  undressing,  to  the  beach,  arid, 
armed  with  my  harpoon,  waded  in  and  headed  for  the 
breakwater.  I  found,  as  I  supposed,  that  with  the  ex 
ception  of  about  fifteen  or  twenty  yards  in  the  middle, 
which  I  was  compelled  to  swim,  I  could  wade  the  whole 
distance.  I  soon  arrived  at  the  opposite  side  and  clam 
bered  up  the  rocks.  I  could  see  but  little  way  seaward 
on  account  of  the  rain  and  slight  fog,  but  at  my  feet  was 
the  same  uneasy,  treacherous  sea,  that  had  swallowed  up 
my  shipmates.  I  could  find  no  sign  of  the  boat  or  of 
them,  and  I  knew  that  whatever  articles  lay  at  the  base 
of  these  rocks  would  by  this  time  either  be  buried  deep 
from  human  eye  or  destroyed  by  the  everlasting  motion 
of  the  undertow.  The  bottom  also,  to  judge  by  the  sides 
of  the  rocks,  was  no  doubt  covered  with  kelp  and  rock- 
weed,  amongst  which,  even  on  land,  it  would  be  almost 
impossible  to  find  anything;  how  much  more  so  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean !  I  gave  up  all  thought  of  ever  re 
covering  anything  more  from  the  boat,  and  sadly  and 


PLANTING.  79 

silently  retook  my  way  back  to  my  hut.  This  trip,  and 
looking  after  my  fresh  water  and  lamps  and  fire  and  wood, 
took  up  my  forenoon  and  brought  me  to  dinner,  which, 
although  lonely,  I  enjoyed.  I  took  this  opportunity  to 
also  cook  some  spare  pieces  of  the  turtle  and  to  gather 
them  together  in  layers,  with  salt  between,  to  serve  me 
for  food  in  my  proposed  exploration.  I  cooked  and  pre 
pared  quite  a  quantity,  as  I  did  also  of  the  boiled  eggs, 
After  dinner  and  the  cooking  and  preparing  of  these 
rations,  I  started  forth  upon  a  more  important  business. 
I  went  to  my  field  in  the  rear  of  the  hut,  and  picking  out 
one  corner  where  the  soil  seemed  fair,  I,  by  the  aid  of  the 
fluke  of  my  anchor,  turned  up  the  soil  in  some  twenty-five 
or  thirty  places,  in  a  circular  form,  some  twenty-four 
inches  in  diameter,  and  carefully  removed  the  turf.  I 
knew  that  writh  my  tools  I  could  not  expect  to  plough  or 
spade  up  any  portion  of  great  extent,  so  I  took  this  means. 
I  left  the  sward  intact,  except  in  these  circular  places, 
some  six  or  eight  feet  apart,  which  I  prepared  for  my 
seeds,  and  sparingly  from  .each  I  planted  the  following; 
in  five  of  them,  apple  seeds;  in  another  five  of  them, 
pear  seeds;  in  another  five,  grape  seeds;  and  in  the 
same  and  other  ones,  cucumbers,  beans,  squashes,  celery, 
blackberries,  strawberries,  tomatoes,  lettuce,  etc.  My 
wheat,  rye,  and  rice,  I  carefully  kept  on  hand,  with  the 
exception  of  one  plat  that  I  sowed  with  wheat  wholly, 
simply  as  a  precaution  to  preserve  the  seed  if  it  should 
mature.  Having  finished  this  labor,  I  commenced  upon 


80  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

another  task,  one  that  was  to  tax  my  ingenuity,  namely, 
a  compass.  I  did  not  feel  like  undertaking  the  examina 
tion  of  the  island  without  this  useful  instrument.  I  first 
procured  some  nice,  strong,  birch-bark,  sound  and  well 
seasoned,  of  which  there  was  plenty  in  the  grove,  and  by 
means  of  my  sharpened  nail  awl  and  manilla  thread  soon 
had  formed  a  nice  little  box  of  about  three  inches  in 
diameter  and  two  high,  with  a  good-fitting  cover  to  same. 
By  means  of  a  piece  of  manilla  thread  held  firmly  by  my 
thumb  on  a  nice,  flat  piece  of  bark,  and  the  awl  fastened 
to  the  other  extremity,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  marking  out 
a  disc  that  would  fit  within  the  circumference  of  my  box. 
I  soon  cut  this  out  with  my  knife,  and  by  means  of  a 
straight  stick  and  a  small  piece  of  charcoal  and  some 
little  measurement,  soon  had  it  marked  off  into  thirty-two 
points ;  making  the  north  point  with  an  arrow-head  to 
distinguish  it,  and  the  other  cardinal  points  large  and 
black.  I  soon  had  quite  a  respectable  compass-card  be 
fore  me.  I  then  took  one  of  the  wrought  nails  from  the 
boat-planking,  and,  in  spite  of  the  rain,  soon  had  it  beaten 
out  on  my  anvil  into  a  narrow  ribbon,  which  I  hardened 
and  converted  into  steel  of  the  length  of  the  diameter  of 
my  compass-card  or  disc.  By  repeated  poundings  and 
drawing  this  ribbon  over  my  knife  from  heel  to  point,  I 
magnetized  it  so  that  it  would  adhere  to  iron  or  steel  quite 
forcibly.  I  fastened  this  upon  the  underside  of  my  com 
pass-cover  with  fine  manilla  thread  near  each  extremity. 
I  should  have  said  that  whilst  this  ribbon  was  red  hot,  I 


MAKING    THE   COMPASS.  81 

had  forced,  with  another  nail,  quite  a  large  hole,  perhaps 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  through  its  centre. 
I  broke  out  one  of  the  teeth  of  my  horn  hair-comb  and 
lashed  it  firmly  for  an  upright  into  the  centre  of  my  box, 
and  over  the  centre  of  my  compass-card  I  cut  out  a  hole 
of  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  over  this  fastened  a 
little  cone  about  the  size  of  a  woman's  thimble,  only  com 
ing  to  a  peak,  instead  of  a  round  head,  and  about  an  inch 
in  height,  also  made  of  bark.  Into  this  cone  I  forced  a 
small  piece  of  the  polished  lip  of  one  of  my  sea  shells,  as 
an  agate  or  face  upon  which  my  horn  pivot  was  to  rest 
and  the  disc  rotate.  Passing  the  disc  into  the  box  and 
the  horn  pivot  up  through  the  hole  in  the  magnet  into  the 
inverted  cup  or  cone  containing  the  small  portion  of  shell, 
I  found  that  I  had  a  real,  quick,  and  good  compass.  The 
card  had  to  be  balanced  by  placing,  with  my  glue,  small 
portions  of  bark  on  its  underneath  surface  till  it  floated 
evenly  upon  its  pivot,  and  my  task  was  done.  I  felt  that 
with  this  implement  I  could  not  get  lost  in  my  explora 
tions,  and  although  rude  in  construction,  its  value  was  as 
sterling  as  one  made  of  brass  and  with  paper  disc.  I  filled 
the  whole  box  with  the  soft  cotton  of  my  milkweed  pods, 
both  above  and  below  the  card,  and  put  on  the  cover  so 
that  there  could  be  no  motion  to  wear  the  pivot.  I  only, 
of  course,  intended  to  use  it  in  case  of  necessity,  and  I  had 
then  only  to  carefully  open  it,  remove  the  card  and  cot 
ton,  and  set  it  back  upon  its  pivot,  after  placing  it  care 
fully  on  the  ground  and  protecting  it  from  any  sudden 


82  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

blast  of  wind.  I  was  proud  of  my  instrument,  and  felt 
much  more  secure,  in  its  possession,  as  to  my  ability  to 
explore  the  island  successfully. 

This  ended  my  day's  work,  and  the  setting  sun  gave 
signs  of  a  pleasant  day  for  the  morrow.  I  felt  pleased 
that  I  had  planted  my  seeds  during  the  rain,  which  would 
give  them  a  good  start,  and  sat  down  to  my  supper  with 
a  feeling  that  I  had  again  overcome  some  of  the  difficul- 

O  O 

ties  that  surrounded  me.  I  visited  my  oyster-shell  out 
side  the  eaves,  and  although  the  sky  had  been  for  an  hour 
or  two  fast  clearing  up,  I  saw  that  1  had  several  gallons 
of  pure  rain  water,  for  which  I  was,  I  hope,  duly  thankful. 
I  meditated  upon  the  morrow.  Upon  my  exploration 
depended  all  my  security  for  the  future.  Should  I  find  the 
island  inhabited,  a  long  farewell  to  all  content.  If  unin 
habited,  I  could,  I  felt  certain,  take  care  of  myself  till  it 
pleased  God  to  remove  me  from  the  solitude  to  which 
I  was  tied.  I  envied  the  old  Robinson  Crusoe,  to  whom  I 
likened  myself,  and  thought,  why  could  not  I  have  been 
as  fortunate  as  he ;  if  the  "  Good  Luck "  must  be  des 
troyed  why  could  she  not  have  come  ashore  on  this  island 
where  I  could  have  saved  something  from  her,  and,  more 
precious  yet,  some  of  the  lives  of  my  shipmates?  How 
many  years  must  I  stagnate  on  this  island?  But  I  am 
young  and  determined  to  improve  my  position.  Have  I 
not  a  book  of  all  the  practical  sciences  to  aid  me  in  forc 
ing  Nature  to  give  up  her  secrets  ?  Why  should  I  not  be 
able  to  improve  my  condition  far  beyond  that  which  my 


REVIEW   MY  POSITION.  83 

predecessor  in  history  had  been  able  to  do  ?  He  had  not 
the  education  of  the  nineteenth  century  to  aid  him ;  he 
knew  nothing  about  the  science  of  steam,  railroads,  steam 
boats,  telegraphs,  etc.,  whilst  I  had  a  book  treating  of 
these  and  a  thousand  other  subjects  of  infinite  interest. 
I  could  not  help  thinking  that  if  I  could  find  iron,  I  could 
do  almost  anything,  and  why  should  I  not  be  able  to  find 
it?  I  knew  that  it  was  a  metal  like  gold,  disseminated 
throughout  all  parts  of  the  earth.  By  my  labors  as  a  boy 
in  it  I  felt  that  I  could,  as  a  mechanic,  do  almost  anything 
if  I  could  discover  this  ore,  and  coal  to  smelt  it.  If  I 
found  water,  I  felt  assured  of  the  future,  and  I  could  not 
but  believe  tha.t  my  exploration  would  enable  me  to  dis 
cover  that.  It  was  impossible  that  so  large  an  area  as  my 
eye  could  gather  in  should  be  without  it.  Once  found,  I 
felt  no  fears  for  food.  I  felt  assured  of  my  physical  well- 
being,  and  the  climate,  I  felt  convinced,  could  not  be  very 
severe  in  the  winter  months  with  such  delightful  weather 
in  this  spring  month  of  November.  I  could  in  time  build 
some  kind  of  a  boat,  and  reach  the  Society  Islands  to  the 
northward  of  me,  or  the  South  American  coast  to  the  east 
ward,  or  even  New  Zealand  to  the  westward.  I  was  not 
without  hope,  and,  although  far  from  cheerful  in  my  dread 
ful  solitude,  I  could  not  but  think  that  I  should  be  com 
paratively  happy  and  contented  if  I  felt  sure  of  my  island 
being  uninhabited;  but  I  dreaded,  in  my  exploration  about 
to  be  undertaken,  to  come  suddenly  upon  some  savage 
village,  that  would  destroy  all  my  desire  to  still  live,  and 


84  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

almost  put  me  in  a  mood  to  take  my  own  life  with  my 
own  hands. 

My  nerves  were  unstrung  now  all  the  time,  and  the 
slightest  noise  caused  my  heart  to  palpitate  with  fear,  as 
it  had  never  before  done  in  the  severest  gale  at  sea  or  in 
face  of  the  greatest  practical  dangers.  I  was  fast  becom 
ing  a  coward,  and  felt  that  I  should  continue  to  be  one 
till  my  problem  was  solved  ;  then,  if  successful  in  ascer 
taining  the  extent  of  the  island  and  its  freedom  from 
savages,  I  felt  that  I  could  resign  myself  with  fortitude  to 
the  designs  that  Providence  had  in  my  behalf.  These 
thoughts  brought  me  well  into  the  evening,  and,  com 
mending  myself  to  the  divine  care,  I  lay  down  upon  my 
sea-weed  couch  and  dropped  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Exploration  of  the  island  :  First  day.  Fresh  water  at  Rapid  River.  Wild 
goats,  quail,  tortoise,  tobacco,  wild  ducks,  trout,  sweet  potatoes,  mussels. 
Name  the  island  and  principal  points,  etc. 

I  AROSE  very  early  in  the  morning  and  saw  that 
I  was  to  be  favored  with  a  very  pleasant  day.  I  went 
to  the  seaside  and  took  my  usual  bath ;  thence  to  my 
lamp-tower  and  arranged  all  the  wicks  and  reservoirs  for 
a  long  burning;  then  to  breakfast,  which  I  quickly  dis 
patched,  and  then  my  preparation  to  start,  which  consisted 
of  the  following :  I  first  filled  my  powder  canister  with 
nice,  pure  rain-water,  and  fitted  it  with  sennit  straps  of 
manilla  to  hang  on  my  back,  taking  care  to  put  the  screw 
in  the  head  solidly  home,  so  that  it  would  not  leak.  In 
my  bag  made  of  sedges  I  stowed  my  boiled  eggs  and 
turtle-steaks,  already  cooked,  also  several  other  articles 
of  value  rolled  up  in  different  parcels  of  birch-bark, 
including  my  fishing-line  and  hooks,  and  some  spare 
manilla  strands,  and  bradawl,  and  carefully  wrapped 
up  my  compass  and  several  large  pieces  of  birch-bark 
and  charcoal,  intending  to  make  a  sketch  of  the  island 
as  I  explored  it,  being  in  my  younger  days  quite  a  good 
draughtsman.  In  my  trousers  pocket  I  placed  my  pipe 

85 


86  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

and  tobacco,  my  flint  and  steel,  and  my  tinder,  tied  up 
in  my  milkweed  pod.  I  then  slung  over  my  back  my 
bow  and  arrows,  the  latter  in  a  light  quiver  of  birch- 
bark  that  I  had  made  for  them;  secured  my  knife  in 
its  shark-skin  sheath  about  my  waist,  and  took  my  har 
poon  in  my  hand,  and,  thus  accoutred,  started  forth. 

Before  I  advanced  in  any  direction  I  bethought  myself 
that  I  would  commence  by  naming  the  island  and  all 
prominent  parts  that  my  eye  could  take  in,  and  to  con 
tinue  this  during  my  exploration.  Accordingly  I  walked 
down  and  faced  the  breakwater,  and,  drawing  forth  a 
piece  of  birch-bark  and  charcoal,  sketched  rudely  the 
outline  before  me.  Determined  as  I  was  to  succeed,  and 
remembering  that  I  had  overcome  the  want  of  water  and 
lire,  I  deliberately  named  the  island  Perseverance  Island. 
The  point  that  ended  the  breakwater  slightly  to  the  west 
ward  of  me  I  named  Point  Deliverance;  the  reef  in 
front  of  me,  the  Breakwater ,  the  water  between  me  and 
the  Breakwater,  Stillwater  Cove,  on  account  of  its  uni 
form  quietness,  being  almost  land-locked. 

Having  finished  this  I  gave  one  long  look  of  affection 
upon  my  miserable  hut,  and,  with  a  mental  prayer  for 
aid  and  assistance,  struck  out  on  the  pure,  white,  sandy 
beach  towards  the  eastward  part  of  the  island.  I  went 
naturally  in  this  direction  first,  for  I  was  too  good  a  sailor 
to  walk  around  the  island  left-handed,  or,  as  we  say  at 
sea,  "  against  the  sun."  I  had  just  enough  superstition 
to  believe  that  such  a  course  would  have  brought  me  bad 


DISCOVER    GOATS   ON    THE    ISLAND.,  87 

luck.  I  followed  my  beach  about  one  mile  and  a  half, 
having  on  my  left  hand  Stillwater  Cove,  and  on  my 
right  hand  small  groves  of  tree  with  long  vistas  between 
them,  giving  me  a  view  into  the  interior  of  the  island, 
and  over  fields  of  natural  grass.  I  often  left  the  beach 
to*  inspect  these  openings,  which  I  approached  with 
perfect  awe,  expecting  every  moment  to  chance  upon 
some  native  village,  or  other  sign  of  the  presence  of 
man.  But  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred.  And  yet 
before  I  reached  the  end  of  my  beach  I  met  with  so 
startling  an  adventure  that  I  was  unmanned  for  over 
an  hour,  and  had  to  sit  down  and  rest  before  proceeding 
on  my  journey.  Approaching  one  of  these  openings  or 
glades  I  peered  in  as  usual,  keeping  myself  on  my  hands 
and  knees,  to  see  if  I  could  find  any  signs  of  my  dreaded 
enemies.  But  the  place  was  as  peaceful  as  any  of  the 
others,  and,  standing  up  to  my  full  height,  I  gave  vent 
to  a  sigh  of  relief,  when,  without  a  moment's  notice 
or  warning,  some  three  or  four  forms  jumped  from  the 
long  grass  where  they  had  been  concealed  and  made 
for  the  thickets  further  inland.  I  was  so  frightened  that 
I  sank  to  the  earth  nearly  senseless.  But  as  my  rnind 
was  just  about  to  leave  me  I  had  force  of  character 
enough  to  observe  that  they  were  not  savages,  but 
animals.  The  revulsion,  however,  was  too  great,  and 
I  sat  down  in  a  faint  and  sick  state,  as  I  have  related. 
When  I  could  collect  my  mind  I  easily  recognized  the 
shapes  I  had  seen  as  some  species  of  goats,  and  delighted 


88  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

indeed  was  I  at  the  discovery.  But  it  immediately  set 
me  thinking,  How  could  there  bo  goats  on  this  island? 
I  well  knew  that  they  would  not  be  here  naturally ;  that 
they  must  have  been  put  here,  and  probably  by  some 
whaler,  for  those  vessels  I  well  knew  often  carry  several 
of  these  animals  with  them.  But  if  they  had  been  placed 
upon  the  island  thus,  why  was  it  not  reported,  why  was 
it  not  known  ?  I  could  conceive  of  only  one  reason,  and 
that  was  that  the  unfortunate  vessel  that  had  discovered 
it  had  afterwards  been  lost,  and  therefore  its  existence 
had  again  become  unknown.  But  this  was  only  theory 
on  my  part.  The  quickness  with  which  they  left  me 
showed  that  they  were  wild,  and  probably  had  been 
many  years  upon  the  island.  If  I  should  see  only  this 
flock  of  four  or  five  I  should  feel  as  if  some  of  the  human 
race  had,  within  a  comparatively  short  time,  visited  the 
island.  But  if  in  my  explorations  I  should  fall  upon 
more  of  these  creatures,  I  should  know  that  they  had 
propagated  and  increased  through  untold  years,  and  from 
a  commencement  that  would  never  be  revealed. 

Having  completely  overcome  my  faintness,  and  rejoiced 
at  my  discovery,  I  passed  back  to  the  beach,  and  in  a  few 
moments  came  to  a  place  where  it  turned  abruptly  to  the 
right.  The  land  also,  being  quite  rocky  and  of  some  ele 
vation,  obstructed  my  view,  and,  preparing  my  bow  and 
arrow  in  one  hand  and  my  harpoon  in  the  other,  I  crept 
round  the  bend  cautiously  on  my  hands  and  knees.  A 
beautiful  sight  struck  my  eyes.  To  my  right  hand,  and 


FRESH    WATER   AT   LAST.  89 

within  a  hundred  yards  of  me,  a  dashing,  sparkling  water 
fall  of  some  eight  or  ten  feet  in  height,  and  fifteen  or 
twenty  wide,  poured  its  waters  into  Stillwater  Cove; 
and  beyond  and  inland  as  far  as  my  eye  could  reach,  till 
the  river  mixed  with  the  foliage  on  either  bank,  and 
was  undistinguishable,  I  saw  smaller  and  less  abrupt  falls 
of  water  coming  down  the  gorge  between  the  hillsides ; 
in  short,  a  large  mountain  brook  or  small  river,  bubbling 
and  gurgling  its  way  to  dash  itself  at  last  over  a  fall 
into  Stillwater  Cove. 

I  forgot  all  about  savages  and  natives,  and,  dashing  down 
my  weapons,  I  rushed  towards  the  fall,  where  it  fell  into 
the  cove,  and,  holding  my  hands  under  it,  filled  them  with 
what  my  mouth  proved  to  me  to  be  soft,  pure,  fresh  river 
water.  I  danced,  I  sung ;  I  was  for  a  little  time  as  crazy 
as  a  loon,  and  here  had  I  been  distilling  water  and  rack 
ing  my  brains  for  days  to  provide,  and  a  bubbling,  run 
ning  brook,  almost  a  river,  within  at  least  two  miles  of 
me  all  the  time.  But  in  my  happiness  I  soon  forgot  my 
past  labors  and  distress,  all  that  was  gone  by.  Here  was 
a  supply  of  water  that  kind  Heaven  had  granted  me,  in 
exhaustible,  and  of  delicious  coolness  and  taste.  Having 
returned  a  little  to  my  senses,  I  went  back  for  my  weapons, 
and  sat  down  and  enjoyed  the  scene  before  me.  It  was 
indeed  beautiful.  I  saw  that  I  was  at  the  head  of  Still- 
water  Cove,  and  that  by  crossing  upon  the  stones  below 
the  fall  I  should  be  on  the  side  of  the  Breakwater,  which 
I  now  saw  was  part  of  the  mainland,  being  a  narrow 


90  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

peninsula  running  nearly  east  and  west,  and  enclosing  Still- 
water  Cove,  and  joining  the  mainland  at  the  spot  where  I 
now  was  seated. 

Oh,  what  a  lovely  spot  I  found  myself  sitting  in.  I 
named  the  beautiful  stream  Rapid  jRiver,  and  drew  out 
my  birch-bark  chart  and  sketched  and  located  it.  I  felt 
that  this  would  be  my  home  ;  and  could  anything  be  more 
beautiful.  As  I  sat  upon  a  large  stone  near  the  river  this 
is  what  I  saw  round  about  me.  To  the  westward,  I  knew 
that  just  around  the  bend,  but  concealed  from  my  eyes  as 
I  sat,  was  the  long,  beautiful  beach  of  Stillwater  Cove, 
with  its  inland  glades  that  I  had  just  passed  over;  to  the 
northward  and  eastward,  a  gradually  ascending  grade  of 
land,  covered  with  lovely  groves  of  trees  in  full  foliage ; 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  a  beautiful  valley  of  some  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  in  extent,  covered  with  a  natural  turf  and 
fringed  at  its  circumference  with  these  beautiful  groves ; 
farther  to  the  right  a  mountain  that  seemed  of  con 
siderable  magnitude.  Birds  passed  me  in  their  flight  from 
one  portion  of  the  grove  to  the  other,  and  I  distinguished 
the  wild  pigeon  and  wood-dove  and  several  others  that 
were  familiar  to  my  eye.  I  observed  that  they  came  to 
one  of  the  upper  falls  to  drink,  and  after  enjoying  to  the 
full  the  beautiful  scenery  round  about  me,  I  followed  them 
there  and  tried  to  get  a  shot  with  my  bow.  I  found  that 
I  could  get  quite  near  to  them,  say  within  twelve  or  four 
teen  yards,  but  I  fired  many  times  before  I  was  successful 
enough  to  kill  one,  and  even  then  I  should  not  have  been 


ROAST  PIGEON. -PAGE  91. 


ROAST   PIGEON.  91 

able  to  have  succeeded  if  it  were  not  for  the  innumera 
ble  number  that  came  to  drink  and  replace  those  whom  I 
frightened  away  by  my  repeated  bad  marksmanship.  Each 
shot,  however,  improved  me,  and  I  had  also  a  determina 
tion  to  become  skilled,  and  therefore  studied  and  discov 
ered  the  error  of  each  shot,  and  improved  upon  it  by  the 
next.  Looking  down  upon  the  terminus  of  Stillwater 
Cove  from  this  upper  fall  was  superb ;  there  it  lay,  a  pure 
basin  of  white  sand,  with  this  mountain  stream  dashing 
into  it.  Having  feasted  my  eyes,  I  got  out  my  flint  and 
steel  and  built  me  a  nice  fire  in  a  short  time  without  any 
difficulty,  and  soon  had  my  pigeon  roasting  at  the  end  of 
a  long  stick  over  the  blaze.  He  eat  so  very  nicely  that  I 
took  to  my  bow  again,  and  after  a  few  shots  killed  an 
other,  which  I  devoured  in  the  same  way.  1  found 
that  the  air  and  exercise  and  my  wanderings  here  and 
there  had  made  me  very  hungry,  and  I  added  to  the  roast 
pigeons  several  of  the  boiled  eggs  and  a  long  draught  of 
pure  water  from  the  running  river  at  my  feet.  Having 
feasted  abundantly,  I  arose,  and  leaving  my  heavy  powder 
canister  of  water  behind  me,  I  crossed  Rapid  River  just 
below  the  lower  falls,  and  found  myself  on  the  further  side 
of  Stillwater  Cove.  I  turned  to  the  left  and  walked  to 
wards  the  Breakwater,  and  soon  found  myself  heading  for 
the  place  where  the  boat  had  first  struck  on  the  reef,  and 
opposite  to  my  late  residence.  Upon  arrival  there  I  could 
look  across  to  my  little  hut,  but  I  kept  on  till  I  came  to 
the  end  of  the  Breakwater  and  to  Point  Deliverance.  As 


92  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

I  walked  along  the  Breakwater  I  noticed  on  the  inner  side 
large  masses  of  mussels  nearly  a  foot  in  length,  larger 
than  anything  of  the  kind  I  had  ever  seen  before,  the 
shells  of  which  would  make  capital  dishes.  I  stored  the 
fact  in  my  memory  for  use  hereafter.  I  stood  at  last  upon 
Point  Deliverance  and  looked  out  to  sea,  but  no  sign  of  any 
friendly  vessel  met  my  eyes.  I  turned  to  the  westward  and 
saw  a  large  bay,  formed  by  my  island,  at  least  three 
miles  across  and  three  or  four  deep,  bounded  on  the  north 
western  side  by  a  slight  promontory,  which  I  concluded 
not  to  name,  from  the  distance  at  which  I  now  stood,  and 
on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  what  lay  behind  it,  now 
not  to  be  seen  from  my  present  position ;  and  as  I  was 
determined  to  pass  round  the  whole  island  I  knew  that  I 
should  come  to  it  in  due  season.  The  bay  before  me,  into 
which  Still  water  Cove  poured  its  waters,  I  named  Perse 
verance  Bay,  and  marked  the  same  upon  my  birch-bark 
chart.  HaA'ing  gazed  about  me  and  seen  nothing  to  ex 
amine  further,  I  retraced  my  steps  to  Rapid  River,  and 
again  sat  down  at  the  upper  fall,  refreshing  myself  with  a 
good  long  pull  at  the  pure  water.  I  started  up  the  gorge 
and  penetrated  for  about  a  mile  into  the  interior  of  the 
island,  and  found  that  the  river  became  smoother  and  more 
level  as  I  advanced,  and  that  the  groves  of  trees  in  places 
receded,  leaving  meadows  of  grass,  and  long  vistas  often, 
on  each  bank.  I  made  on  this  trip  of  a  mile  or  so  several 
discoveries,  the  most  important  of  which  was  that  there 
were  plenty  of  goats  upon  the  island,  for  I  started  several 


TERRAPIN   AND   TROUT.  93 

herds,  one  numbering  as  large  as  ten  or  twelve,  from  the 
long  grass  of  the  bottom  land.  This  convinced  me  that 
years  must  have  passed  since  they  had  been  put  upon  the 
island,  as  they  were  evidently  very  numerous.  I  saw  also 
a  great  many  terrapin,  or  land  tortoises,  and  saw  in  them 
a  luxury  for  the  future.  I  felt  convinced  that  sea  turtle 
would  not  often  come  to  my  island  on  account  of  its 
southerly  position  and  climate,  and  I  looked  upon  the  one 
I  had  captured  as  an  exceptional  case ;  still,  further  in  the 
summer  they  might  be  more  plenty,  their  presence  would 
prove  my  theory  correct  about  the  mildness  of  the  climate, 
and  I  hoped  it  might  prove  true  on  every  account. 

In  the  pure  limpid  waters  of  Rapid  River  I  saw  several 
fish  darting  about,  some  of  which  I  was  convinced  were 
similar  to  brook  trout,  but  I  had  not  fine  enough  fishing 
gear  to  try  for  them.  In  the  long  grass  of  the  meadow, 
near  the  bushes  on  the  border,  I  started  a  veritable  bevy 
of  quail,  —  or  such  I  took  them  to  be,  and  I  had  known  the 
bird  well  in  boyhood, —  and  when  they  flushed  and  whirled 
into  the  air  a  feather  would  have  knocked  me  down.  My 
nerves  were,  however,  getting  stronger  and  stronger,  for 
I  reasoned  that  no  human  being  could  be  on  the  island 
and  allow  such  a  paradise  as  this  to  remain  uninKabited. 
I  recognized  amongst  the  trees,  pines,  hemlocks,  maples, 
elms,  oaks,  etc. ;  and  amongst  the  bushes  and  plants 
several  with  which  I  was  familiar.  On  one  of  the  smooth 
reaches  of  the  river,  passing  from  the  meadow  to  higher 
and  firmer  ground,  I  disturbed  a  large  flock  of  ducks.  On 


94  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  left  bank  of  the  river,  which  was  not  wooded,  I  came 
upon  what  I  believed  to  be  a  joyful  discovery  for  me, 
namely,  the  tobacco  plant.  I  was  not  sure,  but  I  had 
seen  the  weed  growing  in  Virginia,  and  I  felt  sure  that, 
although  stunted,  and  dispersed  here  and  there,  this 
was  the  veritable  article.  I  determined  at  my  earliest 
opportunity  to  test  some  of  it  by  curing  it,  and  in  fact 
plucked  a  small  portion  of  the  leaves  for  that  purpose  and 
thrust  it  into  my  bag.  The  taste  in  the  green  state 
confirmed  me  in  my  opinion,  and  I  felt  sure  I  was  right. 
This  discovery  would  be  a  great  solace  to  me  in  my  lone 
liness,  and  I  felt  very  thankful  for  it. 

I  crossed  the  river  by  wading  and  jumping  from  stone 
to  stone,  and  descended  it  on  the  other  side,  still  seeking 
for  new  discoveries.  My  friends  the  goats  were  often 
disturbed  by  me,  and  I  saw  with  pleasure  that  they  were 
very  numerous.  They  were,  however,  very  shy,  and  ran 
away  with  great  speed  and  evident  fright,  and  gave  me 
no  opportunity  to  shoot  at  them.  It  was  on  this  side  of 
the  river  that  I  made  the  discovery  that  gave  me  bread,  or 
rather  something  in  lieu  of  it.  I  noticed  a  running  vine 
upon  the  ground,  and  my  memory  told  me  that  it  resem 
bled  that  of  the  sweet  potato.  I  pounced  upon  it,  and, 
plucking  up  the  root,  held  in  my  hand  the  evidently  half- 
grown  bulb  that  I  was  in  search  of.  It  had  not  yet 
matured,  but  it  was  bread  for  all  future  time.  I  felt  that 
I  held  in  my  hand  the  sweet  potato  of  Virginia  and  the 
Carolinas.  This  set  me  to  thinking  again,  Was  this 


TOBACCO   AND   POTATOES.  95 

nature  or  man?  Who  had  planted  these  two  things, 
tobacco  and  potatoes,  that  I  so  much  desired,  God  or 
man !  I  felt  that  I  should  never  know.  The  shades  of 
evening  were  by  this  time  beginning  to  fall  around  me, 
and  I  made  my  way  back  to  the  second  fall  on  Rapid 
River  and  arranged  for  the  night,  gathered  wood  for  my 
fire,  and  grass  for  my  couch,  which  I  placed  under  the 
overhanging  and  low  branches  of  a  cedar,  similar  to  the 
one  near  my  hut,  which  I  concluded  to  call  the  Landing 
Place,  and  so  marked  it  upon  my  chart.  I  was  pleased 
with  my  explorations  so  far,  and  foresaw  that  I  could 
gather  everything  about  me  in  the  way  of  comfort  that  a 
man  could  desire,  except  that  one  great  instinct  of  our 
nature,  companionship  with  our  fellow  men.  I  ate  my 
supper  of  turtle  steaks  and  eggs  with  great  satisfaction, 
and  by  the  light  of  my  fire  sought  my  humble  couch 
and  slumber. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Exploration  of  the  island :  Second  day.  Find  coal  and  sulphur,  seals, 
more  turtles,  gulls,  etc. 

THE  next  morning  the  sun  rose  with  his  customary 
brilliancy  and  brought  to  poor  me  another  beautiful  day. 
I  arose  from  my  hard  and  humble  couch,  and  raked  apart 
the  ashes  of  my  last  evening's  fire,  and  put  on  some  new 
wood  and  soon  had  a  cheerful  blaze.  I  stepped  down  to 
the  river  and  soon  with  my  bow  and  arrows  had  two  or 
three  of  my  wild  pigeons  despatched,  which  I  quickly 
plucked  and  soon  had  roasting  over  my  fire.  So  far  I 
had  been  more  successful  than  I  could  have  hoped  to  have 
been ;  no  savages,  no  noxious  or  deadly  animals,  but  all  a 
seeming  paradise.  I  soon  finished  my  simple  repast,  and 
strapping  my  canister  upon  my  back  and  taking  my  har 
poon  in  hand  I  commenced  my  pilgrimage  round  about 
the  island,  which  I  was  determined  to  accomplish  before  I 
undertook  any  other  task. 

I  passed  across  Rapid  River  and  pressed  towards  the 
sea  coast  and  finally,  after  a  walk  of  about  a  mile  in  a 
northeasterly  direction,  came  out  upon  a  bold  shore  with 
quite  a  promontory  on  my  right  hand.  How  wistfully 
I  looked  out  upon  the  ocean,  the  day  being  so  clear  that  I 
96 


DISCOVERY   OF   COAL.  97 

could  see  to  a  great  distance ;  but  my  view  encountered 
no  welcome  sail,  —  only  the  everlasting  waste  of  waters 
spread  out  before  me.  With  one  long  sigh  of  repining  at 
my  fate,  I  passed  on  to  the  right  and  commenced  ascend 
ing  the  promontory  before  me.  I  trudged  on  through  open 
land  and  small  groves  of  trees  till  I  arrived  at  the  summit, 
which  was  barren  and  gave  me  a  great  view  seaward  and 
convinced  me  that  I  was  on  the  extreme  northeastern 
extremity  of  my  island ;  for  I  could  see  nothing  to  the 
northward  of  me,  but  in  my  rear  and  to  the  eastward  I 
saw  another  projection  extending  into  the  sea,  to  the  south 
ward  of  which  I  could  not  observe.  From  my  elevation 
I  was  able  to  see  somewhat  of  the  interior  of  the  island, 
and  this  was  what  met  my  view :  to  the  south  of  me  and 
at  about  two  miles  distance,  as  I  should  judge,  I  saw  quite 
an  elevation,  and  far  away  to  the  southwest  another  large 
hill,  almost  a  miniature  mountain.  The  island  seemed 
well  wooded  in  all  directions  and  presented  a  beautiful 
appearance  in  the  brilliant  morning  sun  and  pure  clear 
air.  I  looked  long  and  anxiously  to  the  eastward  for 
land,  but  saw  nothing :  and  my  friends  the  goats  seemed 
to  have  deserted  me  in  this  part  of  the  island,  for  I  saw 
no  signs  of  them.  I  turned  to  pass  to  the  southward  and 
eastward  along  the  coast-line,  when  I  was  attracted  by 
the  appearance  of  the  ground  round  about  me,  having  in 
seams  amongst  the  rocks  a  dark  appearance.  I  stooped 
down  and  by  the  aid  of  my  knife  broke  off  some  portions 
of  this  familiar  looking  substance,  when  lo  and  behold  I 


98  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

I  held  in  iny  hand  veritable  anthracite  or  bituminous  coal, 
—  I  was  not  expert  enough  to  know  which,  although  I 
thought  it  to  be  the  former.  What  a  discovery  was  this 
for  me,  and  yet  what  a  natural  one,  after  all.  I  could  not 
rest  satisfied  with  my  own  convictions  that  it  was  really 
coal  that  I  held  in  my  hand ;  but  then  and  there  drew  out 
my  flint  and  steel  and  started  a  wood  fire,  at  which  I  had 
become  expert,  and  digging  up  large  fragments  with  my 
harpoon  and  knife,  which  I  took  care  not  to  break  or  dull 
in  the  operation,  I  cast  them  upon  the  flame.  Yes,  it  was 
true  past  peradventure,  —  I  had  found  coal,  veritable  coal, 
that  burned  readily  in  the  midst  of  my  wood  fire  where  I 
had  piled  it  in  the  glowing  embers  and  flames.  Every 
once  in  a  while  it  seemed  to  give  off  quick  jets  of  flame, 
and  this  led  me  to  examine  the  specimens  before  me  more 
carefully  to  ascertain  the  cause.  And  upon  breaking- 
open,  with  a  stone,  quite  a  large  fragment,  I  saw  within  it 
a  large  broad  streak,  as  wide  as  my  finger,  of  a  yellowish 
cast,  which  I  instantly  recognized  as  sulphur,  and  in  fact 
my  memory  told  me  that  the  coal  received  from  the 
island  of  Formosa,  in  China,  especially  from  the  surface 
collections,  abounded  in  sulphur,  sometimes  so  much  so  as 
to  be  disagreeable  for  house  use.  But  one  thought  flashed 
into  my  mind  upon  this  discovery ,  matches !  matches ! 
matches !  Yes,  here  was  before  me  the  foundation  of  all 
lucifer  matches,  and  I  had  only  to  consult,  on  my  return, 
my  Compendium  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sciences,  to  avail 
myself  of  it  and  find  out  how  to  combine  it  with  the  other 


I  FIND   SULPHUK.  99 

necessary  articles  to  have  real  bond  fide  matches.  I  was 
overwhelmed  with  joy,  and  blessed  the  hour  that  had 
been  so  fruitful  in  comforts  for  me,  should  I  have  to 
remain  upon  this  island. 

I  went  to  work  and  soon  had  sufficient  of  crude  sul 
phur  or  brimstone  —  I  do  not  know  which  it  should  cor 
rectly  be  called  —  to  answer  all  my  purposes  for  experi 
ment,  and  carefully  wrapping  it  up  in  some  leaves  and 
fastening  it  with  a  thread  of  my  manilla,  I  placed 
it  in  my  bag.  I  thought  how  rapidly  my  fortunes 
were  changing :  here  had  I  within  a  few  hours  insured 
myself  against  cold  and  loss  of  fire  by  the  few  gifts  of 
nature  laid  at  my  feet.  I  tried,  in  spite  of  my  miserable 
solitude,  to  be  thankful.  Before  leaving  the  promontory 
I  drew  out  my  birch-bark  chart  and  named  the  point  East 
Signal  Point,  as  it  was  evidently  a  capital  place  at 
some  future  day  to  erect  a  signal  of  some  kind  upon, 
being  high,  bold,  and  barren,  and  overlooking  the  sur 
rounding  country.  The  place  where  I  had  found  the  coal 
and  sulphur,  I  simply  named  the  Coal  Mine. 

Having  marked  these  carefully  down,  I  rolled  up  my 
chart  and  took  my  way  towards  the  easterly  cape  to  the 
southward  of  where  I  stood.  After  a  walk  of  about  a 
mile  and  a  half,  I  found  myself  upon  what  was  evidently 
the  extreme  eastern  end  of  my  island,  not  nearly  so  high 
as  East  Signal  Point,  but  well  elevated  and  barren  to 
wards  the  sea,  backed  with  a  thick  forest  inland.  Stand 
ing  on  this  point,  which  I  named  Eastern  Cape,  I  saw 


100  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

that  this  was  the  limit  of  my  island  in  this  direction,  and 
by  figuring  in  my  head  and  looking  at  my  chart  I  esti 
mated  that  I  was  about  six  miles  from  my  landing-place 
in  a  direct  line,  and  about  eight  by  the  coast  line. 

I  saw  nothing  here  to  attract  my  attention  except  many 
seals  on  the  southerly  shore,  which  was  now  opened  to  my 
view  for  the  first  time.  On  the  broken  and  jagged  rocks 
of  this  coast-line  I  saw  great  numbers  of  these  animals  of 
different  sizes,  and  I  should  think  of  different  species. 

It  being  by  this  time  about  noon  by  the  sun,  I  sat  down 
and  opened  my  bag  and  regaled  myself  upon  turtle  steaks 
and  cold  boiled  eggs,  for  I  did  not  go  to  the  trouble  of 
lighting  any  fire ;  this,  washed  down  with  water  from 
Rapid  River  in  my  tin  canister,  formed  my  frugal  meal. 
Towards  the  southwest  I  saw  trending  a  long  sandy  beach 
similar  to  the  one  inside  the  breakwater,  except  that  this 
was  lashed  by  the  long  regular  billows  of  the  ocean  with 
out  any  intervening  barrier.  After  taking  a  good  long 
rest,  I  got  upon  my  feet  and  started  again  upon  my  jour 
ney.  I  soon  came  down  upon  the  hard  sea  sand  from  my 
elevation,  and  the  seals  that  I  had  seen  from  above  seemed 
little  inclined  to  move  at  my  approach,  and  I  passed  quite 
near  to  several  amongst  the  rocks  before  reaching  the 
beach.  No  one  can  credit  what  pleasure  I  experienced  in 
simply  observing  these  poor  dumb  creatures  so  near  me, 
with  their  great,  beautiful  black  eyes,  and  I  lingered  near 
them  for  over  an  hour,  so  fascinated  was  I  by  them ;  they 
seemed  almost  like  companions  to  me,  so  subdued  and 


SEALS    AND   TURTLE.  101 

lonely  had  I  become  for  want  of  the  society  of  my  fellow- 
creatures,  even  in  these  few  days.  I  talked  to  them,  and 
they  answered  me  by  snorts  of  surprise,  and  by  gazing  at 
me  with  their  great  staring  eyes.  I  would  not  have  hurt 
one  of  them  for  all  the  wealth  of  the  world,  and  when  I 
left  them  I  took  off  my  clumsy  hat  and  bid  them  good-by 
as  I  would  intelligent  beings. 

After  leaving  the  seals  behind  me  I  became  despondent 
again,  and  cursed  my  cruel  fate.  My  loneliness  rushed 
upon  me  with  renewed  force ;  however,  I  tried  hard  to 
thrust  it  from  me,  and  before  I  had  made  a  mile  upon  the 
beach  was  in  better  spirits  again.  I  saw  flying  round  about 
me  several  birds  that  I  recognized  as  gulls,  and  ahead  of 
me  a  turtle  made  his  way  into  the  sea,  but  I  made  no  at 
tempt  to  stop  him,  having  plenty  of  food  and  to  spare, 
but  I  was  glad  to  see  that  my  expectations,  or  rather  de 
sires,  were  more  than  fulfilled,  and  that  my  capture  upon 
the  other  side  of  the  island  had  not  been  an  exceptional 
one,  and  I  could  look  to  this  creature  also  for  food ;  but 
that  question,  as  well  as  the  one  of  water  and  fire,  was 
fast  disappearing  from  my  mind,  as  the  certainty  of  pro 
viding  all  easily  was  being  hourly  forced  upon  me.  I 
foresaw  that  I  should  not  want  for  any  of  these  things, 
that  I  should,  with  a  little  care  and  labor,  have  comforts 
undreamed  of  when  I  first  found  myself  cast  on  shore. 

The  question  of  savages  even  was  fast  being  settled,  for 
I  reasoned  that  I  couKl  not  have  made  such  a  distance 
round  about  the  island  without  finding  some  traces  of 


102  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

human  beings,  if  there  were  any  upon  the  island ;  still  I 
cannot  say  that  all  my  nervousness  was  gone,  I  was  yet 
too  lonely,  depressed,  and  solitary,  and  knew  yet  too  little 
of  the  whole  island,  to  have  recovered  all  my  usual  and 
natural  evenness  of  temperament ;  but  I  was  improving, 
and  my  head  was  already  filled  with  ideas  of  boats,  bal 
loons,  and  I  know  not  what,  in  which  I  was  in  some  way 
yet  to  escape.  After  walking  about  three  miles  along 
this  lovely  beach  I  came,  upon  turning  a  slight  elevation, 
to  the  mouth  of  a  small  trickling  brook  not  over  three  feet 
wide,  which  found  its  way  to  the  ocean  from  a  back 
ground  of  forest  trees.  I  sat  down  by  the  side  of  it,  and 
soon  ascertained  that  the  water  was  pure,  cool,  and  fresh. 
I  almost  smiled  at  the  fury  with  which  I  had  attacked 
this  problem  of  water  upon  my  first  arrival  upon  the 
island ;  but  on  the  other  hand  I  felt  pleased  to  think  that 
I  had  also  overcome  it,  and  had  made  Nature  serve  me. 
I  took  quite  a  rest  at  this  point,  and,  after  sauntering 
about,  concluded,  as  the  sun  was  sinking  towards  the 
west,  to  make  it  my  resting-place  for  the  night.  For  this 
purpose  I  went  a  little  further  back  from  the  beach  under 
the  trees,  and  carried  up  there  large  quantities  of  good 
dry  seaweed,  and  made  me  a  nice  comfortable  bed, 
lighted  a  good  fire,  and  after  a  quite  good  supper  of 
my  eggs  and  turtle  steak,  which  I  warmed  in  the  ashes 
and  roasted  over  the  hot  coals,  I  took  out  my  pipe  and 
tobacco  to  smoke  and  meditate.  "\Vith  the  precious  weed 
that  I  drew  from  my  pocket  I  mixed  a  small  quantity  of 


NEW    AND    OLD    CRUSOES    CONTRASTED.          103 

the  wild  weed  that  I  had  found,  and  having  of  course  had 
no  time  to  cure  it  I  first  shrivelled  it  up  over  my  hot  embers 
and  then  mixed  it  with  my  tobacco.  By  the  scent  and 
fragrance  whilst  it  was  being  dried  in  this  manner,  I  had 
no  longer  any  doubt  but  what  I  had  found  the  veritable 
article,  and  when  I  came  to  mix  it  in  my  pipe  I  felt  con 
vinced. 

It  being  early,  and  feeling  that  I  surely  had  a  sup 
ply  of  this  luxury,  I  indulged  in  a  second  pipe-full, 
and  whilst  I  was  puffing  away  I  was  also  trying  to 
look  into  the  future.  My  remembrance  of  the  original 
Robinson  Crusoe  was  that  he  was  a  bungler  at  anything 
and  everything  that  he  undertook,  whilst  I  felt  that  I  was 
a  good  mechanic,  thoroughly  versed  in  the  use  of  all  tools, 
and  especially  in  working  in  iron ;  that  I  had  a  fair,  sound, 
common-school  education,  and  that  I  had  been  ingenious 
and  inventive  both  on  sea  and  land  from  my  boyhood ; 
that  I  had  had  good  experience  in  navigation  and  sea 
manship,  and  intercourse  with  many  nations;  that  I  knew, 
and  had  acquired,  the  little  every-day  habits  of  many 
curious  people,  and  that  I  had  seen  numerous  ways  of 
doing  the  same  things  in  different  parts  of  the  world. 
Besides  all  this  I  had  a  valuable  book  which  would  serve 
me  in  the  very  points  in  which  I  was  deficient,  and  I  felt 
that  with  it  I  could  do  thousands  of  things  that  the  old 
Robinson  Crusoe  never  dreamed  of  doing.  I  felt  that  if 
there  was  iron  to  be  found  in  the  island  there  would 
practically  be  no  end  to  the  improvements  and  comforts 


104  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

that  I  could  gather  about  me ;  with  tools  of  iron  and  steel, 
with  my  knowledge  of  mechanics,  what  I  could  not 
make  would  almost  be  the  question. 

I  felt  convinced*  that  there  must  be  iron  upon  the 
island,  even  if  not  in  large  quantities,  enough  for  my  pur 
pose  if  I  could  only  find  it.  I  knew  that  the  Japanese 
islands  had  plenty  of  it,  that  Formosa  and  New  Zealand 
abounded  in  it,  and  I  was  determined  to  find  it  if  it  was 
to  be  found. 

I  had  already  made  up  my  mind  to  move  to  Rapid 
River  for  my  home,  unless  future  discoveries  showed  me 
a  different  state  of  affairs  in  the  western  part  of  the  island 
than  I  expected  to  find. 

I  wondered,  as  I  sat,  whether  my  famous  lamp  tower 
was  performing  its  duties  during  my  absence,  but  it  did 
not  trouble  me  any  longer  even  if  it  were  not,  for  I  found 
that  my  flint,  steel,  and  tinder  were  all-sufficient  for  my 
purpose,  and  was  I  not  soon  going  to  make  real  matches  ? 

Sitting  smoking,  and  revolving  all  these  thoughts  in 
my  mind,  I  saw  the  sun  sink  into  the  western  ocean,  and 
shortly  after  wrapped  myself  up  in  my  seaweed  covering, 
under  the  shelter  of  a  bunch  of  low  shrubs,  and  dropped 
asleep. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Exploration  of  the  island.  Third  day.  Stalking  goats.  Mirror  lake  and 
river  and  bay.  Sad  moonlight  thoughts. 

I  AWOKE  to  still  another  pleasant  day,  having  scarcely- 
moved  in  my  seaweed  bed  during  the  night.  My  first 
duty  was  to  make  my  way  to  the  running  brook  and  have, 
a  good  wash,  and  then  to  look  about  me  for  breakfast.  I 
bethought  myself  all  at  once  of  the  turtle  that  I  had  seen 
on  the  beach  the  previous  day,  and  I  made  my  way  back 
to  the  place  where  I  observed  the  marks  of  its  ingress 
into  the  sea,  and,  looking  about  carefully,  I  soon  found  its 
eggs  nicely  covered  up  in  the  sand.  I  took  as  many  as  I 
wanted  and  turned  about  and  made  my  way  back  to 
camp,  and  soon  had  them  roasting  in  the  ashes. 

After  breakfast  I  pushed  my  way  a  little  into  the  island, 
and  found  pleasant  groves  and  fields,  in  one  of  the  latter 
of  which  I  observed  a  flock  of  goats  feeding.  They  did  not 
see  me,  and  I  found  by  the  direction  of  the  wind  that  I 
was  to  leeward  of  them,  and  therefore  beyond  their  scent, 
and  I  determined  to  stalk  them,  or  creep  in  upon  them, 
and  try  to  get  a  shot  with  my  arrows.  For  this  purpose 
I  divested  myself  of  all  extra  articles,  and,  armed  only 
with  my  bow  and  two  arrows,  and  my  knife  in  its  sheath, 

105 


106  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

I  got  upon  my  hands  and  knees  and  commenced  the  task. 
At  first  this  was  not  difficult,  for  the  animals  were  at 
leasi  two  hundred  yards  distant  from  me,  and  by  taking 
advantage  of  different  clumps  of  trees  and  shrubs  I  soon 
approached  within  one  hundred  yards  of  them ;  but  then 
my  labors  commenced.  I  felt  that  I  must  get  very  near 
to  be  sure  of  my  aim  with  arrows,  and  to  pierce  them 
sufficiently  deep  to  produce  death ;  at  least  within  twenty- 
five  yards. 

I  made  progress  for  some  twenty  or  thirty  yards  quite 
well  by  keeping  within  range  of  intervening  objects,  but 
when  I  found  myself  within  about  sixty  or  seventy  yards 
of  them  I  found  my  task  difficult,  and  I  had  often  to  lie 
upon  my  belly  and  drag  myself  along,  inch  by  inch,  so  as 
not  to  be  seen,  and  with  one  hand  to  clear  the  ground 
before  me  of  the  smallest  twig  or  anything  that  would 
make  the  slightest  noise  when  my  body  was  passing  over 
it.  It  took  me  a  full  hour  to  make  twenty-five  yards  in 
this  manner,  which  brought  me  within,  as  I  should  judge, 
thirty-five  yards  of  them.  Here  my  precautions  had  to 
be  increased,  and  it  was  with  infinite  labor,  and  the 
expenditure  of  at  least  another  hour  (but  what  was  time 
to  me)  before  I  found  myself  behind  a  low  clamp  of 
bushes,  on  the  other  side  of  which,  not  more  than  twenty 
yards  distant,  I  could  hear  the  goats  feeding.  Silently- 1 
fitted  an  arrow  to  the  string,  and  rising  inch  by  inch  till 
the  muscles  of  my  arms  and  thighs  were  nearly  worn  out 
from  immovability,  I  saw  through  the  thin  tops  of  the 


GOAT-SHOOTING.  107 

bushes  one  of  the  goats  not  fifteen  paces  from  me.  I  was 
at  a  fever  heat  of  excitement,  and  drawing  my  arrow 
silently  to  the  head,  and  with  the  utmost  force  of  my  arm, 
I  launched  it  at  the  game,  and  saw  it  pierce  the  goat 
through  and  through,  who  fell  upon  his  side,  but  immedi 
ately  regaining  his  feet  made  off  with  amazing  swiftness ; 
its  companions,  to  the  number  of  some  six  or  eight,  scat 
tering  in  all  directions.  I  followed  as  fast  as  possible  on 
foot,  and  saw  with  satisfaction  that  my  game  had  not 
gone  more  than  one  hundred  yards  before  it  began  to 
waver  and  to  lose  its  speed,  and  within  the  next  fifty 
yards,  in  the  open  field,  to  fall  upon  its  side,  and,  just 
before  I  arrived,  expire,  in  its  fall  breaking  the  arrow  short 
off.  I  looked  down  upon  the  creature  with  exultation,  for 
it  was  food,  and  good  food,  and  I  had  won  it  by  honest 
and  persevering  labor,  and  by  means  of  what  in  our  day 
was  considered  a  contemptible  weapon. 

I  took  out  my  knife  and  cut  the  creature's  throat  and  let 
the  blood  escape,  and  then  taking  him  —  for  it  was  a 
buck  —  by  the  hind-legs  I  threw  him  over  my  back  and 
started  for  my  camp  on  the  rivulet,  where  I  dumped  him 
down  beside  my  fire  and  commenced  to  skin  him.  This, 
with  my  knife,  I  soon  completed,  and,  cutting  off  some  of 
the  tender  chops  I  soon  had  them  roasting  on  the  coals, 
for,  although  I  had  breakfasted  a  few  hours  before,  I 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  tasting  fresh  meat, 
which,  on  account  of  my  sea  voyage,  it  was  so  long 
since  I  had  enjoyed.  I  found  it  exceedingly  good  in 


108  PEKSEVEBANCE   ISLAND. 

flavor,  but  a  little  tough,  my  customer  evidently  being 
far  from  young.  He  carried  a  very  handsome  pair  of 
curved  horns,  and  a  long,  majestic  beard.  The  hair  was 
of  rather  a  finer  texture  than  I  expected  to  find  it,  and 
was  not  very  long  or  thick ;  another  proof,  I  thought,  of 
my  theory  of  the  mildness  of  the  climate.  The  animal 
was  such  a  true,  commonplace  goat,  such  as  one  sees  on 
whalers,  that  I  felt  convinced  that  the  breed  had  at  some 
long-distant  day  been  left  on  the  island  in  this  manner, 
but  no  signs  had  I  yet  found  of  the  island  having  ever 
been  lived  upon  or  explored.  Then,  again,  it  might  with 
great  probability  have  been  stocked  fifty  or  sixty  years 
ago,  and  any  signs  of  persons  having  been  here,  except 
they  had  left  enduring  monuments  of  some  kind,  would 
long  ago  have  been  effaced  or  destroyed.  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  accept  the  blessing  without  puzzling  my  brains 
any  more  to  find  out  how  it  happened  that  they  were 
here.  I  was  pained  to  know  what  to  do  with  the  large 
mass  of  flesh  that  I  had  remaining,  and  having,  at  Buenos 
Ayres,  seen  the  jerked  beef  .of  the  prairies,  I  cut  large 
portions  of  this  creature  into  strips  and  hung  it  on  the 
surrounding  trees  and  bushes  to  dry  and  cure  in  the 
pure  air.  A  large  portion  of^  what  was  left  I  roasted  and 
put  in  my  bag,  throwing  away  the  remainder  of  the  turtle 
steaks  and  gulls'  eggs,  of  which  I  had  become  somewhat 
tired.  All  this  brought  me  to  the  afternoon,  and,  packing 
up  all  my  articles,  after  a  good  long  smoke,  harpoon  in 
hand  I  started  forth  again,  heading  towards  the  westward. 


MIRROR   RIVER,    BAY,    AND   LAKE.  109 

Two  miles'  walk  brought  me  to  an  elevation  running  out 
into  the  sea,  which  was  evidently  the  southern  extremity 
of  my  island,  and  I  marked  it  upon  the  chart  South  Cape, 
and  the  hill-top  Watch  Hill,  for  the  reason  that  I  could 
see  from  this  position  much  further  in  both  an  easterly 
and  westerly  direction  than  from  any  point  upon  the 
island  that  I  had  yet  reached. 

To  the  right  of  me  as  I  faced  to  the  southward  was  a 
beautiful  and  lovely  bay,  at  least  a  mile  and  a  half  deep 
and  three-quarters  wide,  as  smooth  as  glass,  in  which  the 
shadows  of  the  surrounding  shores  and  hill-tops  were 
pictured.  I  marked  it  down  upon  my  chart  as  Mirror 
Bay.  Long  and  steadily  I  looked  to  the  southward  before 
leaving  South  Cape,  but  no  sign  of  land  met  my  longing 
view.  To  the  westward,  on  the  other  side  of  Mirror  Bay, 
trended  the  white  sand  beach,  backed  by  groves  of  beauti 
ful  trees  which  were  in  full  verdure.  Drinking  in  all  the 
beauties  of  Nature  round  about  me,  I  turned  my  steps 
towards  the  head  of  Mirror  Bay,  and  in  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  came  to  a  river  of  considerable  size  pouring  into  it, 
which  seemed  of  some  depth,  and  was  at  least  thirty  or 
forty  yards  wide.  I  followed  this  stream  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  more,  when,  struggling  along  by  the  side  of  the 
river,  which  I  named  Mirror  River,  through  a  short  under 
growth  of  a  sort  of  scrub  oak,  I  all  at  once  came  out  upon 
the  most  lovely  lake  imaginable,  fringed  round  about  by 
beautiful  groves  of  trees,  and  looking  like  molten  lead  or 
silver  in  its  quietness  and  calm.  I  named  it  at  once 


110  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

Mirror  Lake,  but  in  forcing  my  way  to  its  margin,  after 
having  for  a  few  moments  enjoyed  its  beauties,  I  started 
up  from  its  borders  innumerable  flocks  of  birds,  amongst 
which  I  distinguished  geese,  swans,  ducks,  and  other  birds 
of  which  I  knew  not  the  name.  I  sat  down  upon  the 
borders  of  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water  and  contemplated 
it  in  silence. 

After  having  enjoyed  its  beauties  to  my  fill,  I  passed 
again  to  the  river  bank  to  pass  over  and  get  again  to  the 
seaside,  but  I  found  the  water  rapid  and  quite  deep, 
although  not  over  my  head,  and  I  was  obliged  to  undress 
and  carry  my  things  over  one  by  one,  and  to  make  several 
trips  before  I  stood  with  all  my  weapons  round  about  me 
on  the  southwestern  bank.  This  lake  I  should  say  was 
about  one  mile  in  extent  and  half  a  mile  wide,  of  nearly 
an  oval  form,  and  its  waters,  which  I  tasted  and  found 
excellent,  singularly  pure  and  limpid,  with  hard,  sandy 
shores,  and  free  from  any  slime  or  stagnant  water.  A  walk 
of  a  mile  brought  me  again  to  the  seaside,  and  I  trudged 
on,  I  should  judge,  about  three  miles,  till  I  saw  a  ledge  of 
rocks  jutting  into  the  sea  and  confining  my  vision  as  to 
the  extent  of  the  island  in  that  direction.  As  I  drew 
nearer  I  saw  forms  upon  the  rocks  that  looked  like  human 
figures,  —  like  soldiers  in  full  uniform,  —  but  singularly 
small  in  size.  For  just  one  moment  I  wras  deceived,  —  nay, 
even  frightened,  —  but  the  next  my  sailor's  eyes  told  me 
they  were  penguins,  and  sure  enough,  as  I  approached,  my 
soldiers  gravely  plunged  into  the  ocean  and  swam  out  sea- 


PENGUIN  POINT.  Ill 

ward.  I  named  the  point,  Penguin  Point,  being  the  first 
of  these  birds  that  I  had  seen.  From  this  point  the  coast 
ran  in  a  northerly  direction  in  almost  a  straight  line,  but  I 
had  no  time  to  examine  it  further  on  this  day,  for  the 
beautiful  sun  was  fast  dipping  into  the  western  ocean 
before  my  eyes,  with  nothing  to  veil  the  magnificent  sight. 
Eagerly  did  I  look  for  land  as  its  lower  limb  touched  the 
water  and  set  it  all  in  a  blaze,  but  nothing  met  my 
view. 

I  did  not  find  here  the  thick,  shady  trees  of  the  re 
mainder  of  the  island  ;  but  short,  stumpy  cedars  and  pines, 
and  I  noticed  that  the  land  was  flat  and  sandy.  I  built  a 
small  fire  so  as  to  light  my  pipe  and  enjoy  its  company, 
and  gathered  together  my  customary  bed  of  seaweed. 
The  stars  came  out  in  all  their  brilliancy,  and  by  and  by 
the  moon  came  creeping  up  behind  me  over  the  island, 
but  I  could  not  sleep  as  usual.  I  was  too  solitary  and 
desolate  to  enjoy  that  luxury  of  forgetfulness,  and  I  sat 
for  long  hours  into  the  night,  listening  to  sounds  that,  in 
any  but  a  sailor's  ear,  would  have  created  fear  and  anxiety; 
for  on  the  ocean  side  I  heard  the  never-ending  pulsations 
and  throbs  of  its  ceaseless  breathing,  and  inland  the  name 
less  noises  of  the  night  which  I  had  learned  years  be 
fore  in  anchor-watches  in  some  distant  river  of  a  far- 
off  clime.  I  was  not  afraid,  but  I  was  lonely,  and  in  the 
agony  of  my  spirit  I  prayed  for  rescue  from  my  living 
tomb ;  but  better  feelings  came  to  my  mind  as  the  night 
wore  on,  and  I  thought  over  how  much  I  had  to  be  thank- 


112  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND.  f 

ful  for,  and  how  many  comforts  I  could  get  round  about 
me  with  a  little  industry  and  foresight.  I  suppose  that 
it  was  about  midnight  when  I  put  out  my  pipe  and  fell 
asleep ;  at  any  rate,  when  I  awoke  it  was  broad  daylight, 
and  the  sun  at  least  two  hours  high. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Exploration  of  the  island :  Fourth  day.  Finish  the  exploration  of  the 
island,  and  build  stone  house  at  Rapid  River. 

I  SOON  had  my  fire  in  a  blaze  and  my  breakfast  de 
spatched,  and  started  forward  on  my  explorations.  As  I 
advanced,  I  saw  that  I  was  on  a  smooth,  hard  sand-beach, 
with  a  scanty  growth  of  cedars  and  pines  on  my  right 
hand  inland.  After  walking  a  few  miles  I  turned  to  the 
right  and  walked  inland,  expecting,  from  the  formation  of 
the  land,  that  the  part  of  the  island  I  was  upon  could  not 
be  very  wide ;  and  sure  enough,  after  a  short  half  mile 
through  the  stunted  cedars,  I  came  out  upon  Persever 
ance  Bay,  and  within  plain  sight  of  Point  Deliverance 
and  Stillwater  Cove,  some  three  miles  distant.  I  found 
that  I  was  upon  a  narrow  tongue  of  land  which  formed 
the  western  boundary  of  Perseverance  Bay  and  ended 
in  the  promontory  that  I  had  seen  from  Point  Deliver 
ance  in  looking  across  the  bay  on  the  first  day  of  my 
explorations. 

I  did  not  consider  it  worth  while  to  pass  back  again  to 
the  west  shore,  but  kept  along  on  the  beach  on  the  margin 
of  Perseverance  Bay  towards  the  point  to  the  northward. 

113 


114  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

In  a  mile  or  two  more  I  reached  it,  and  found  that  it  con 
sisted  of  quite  a  sandy  elevation,  covered  with  stunted 
cedars,  and  evidently  the  extreme  northern  point  of  my 
island.  I  named  it  West  Signal  Point.  Here  I  sat  down 
and  took  a  review  of  my  situation.  I  had  virtually  made 
the  circuit  of  the  island;  for  from  where  I  sat  I  could 
see  the  margin  of  Perseverance  Bay,  which,  if  I  followed, 
would  end  in  landing  me  at  the  mouth  of  Stillwater 
Cove,  near  my  hut. 

I  saw  that  my  task  was  completed,  and  that  I  was  alone 
on  my  island,  the  only  living  human  being,  the  latter-day 
Robinson  Crusoe.  My  feelings  were  those  of  joy  and 
grief,  —  joy,  that  it  had  pleased  Providence  to  keep  me 
out  of  the  hands  of  savages,  where  I  could  pass  my  life 
in  peace,  if  it  was  so  willed  ;  grief,  that  I  should  be  forced 
to  this  lonely  and  solitary  life.  I  sat  many  hours  at  this 
spot,  thinking  over  plans  for  the  future,  and  what  I 
should  do  to  make  myself  comfortable  and  protected 
from  wind  and  weather,  and  from  future  enemies,  should 
any  ever  visit  me.  On  the  whole,  I  found  my  mind  much 
relieved  at  the  positive  proof  that  I  had  of  the  island 
being  uninhabited,  and  when  I  arose  and  started  for 
home  it  was  with  a  freer  step  and  lighter  heart  than  I 
had  had  since  my  landing. 

A  trudge  of  about  seven  miles,  as  near  as  I  could 
judge,  brought  me  to  Stillwater  Cove  without  adven 
ture  of  any  kind,  although  I  passed  many  objects  in 
the  way  of  birds,  trees,  and  vegetables  that  were  of 


HOME  AGAIN.  115 

intense  interest  to  me.  From  thence,  a  walk  of  about  a 
mile  brought  me  to  my  hut  at  about  five  o'clock  by  the 
sun,  hungry  and  tired,  but  perfectly  well  and  strong. 
Convinced  as  I  was  of  the  utter  solitude  of  the  island,  still 
it  was  with  care  and  almost  awe  that  I  approached  my 
hut,  almost  expecting  to  see  some  strange  creature,  either 
human  or  savage,  within  its  walls.  Nothing  met  my  ear 
or  eye.  Quietness  and  solitude  reigned,  and  everything 
was  exactly  as  I  had  left  it.  I  examined  my  lamp 
tower,  and  found  that  two  of  the  lights  had  gone  out,  I 
suppose  on  account  of  the  wick,  but  the  others  were  burn 
ing  well  but  dimly.  I  immediately  gave  matters  here  my 
attention,  and  soon  had  all  to  rights  and  "  ship-shape." 
I  had  even  a  feeling  of  comfort  as  if  I  had  arrived 
home,  and  I  went  about  the  matter  of  getting  supper 
and  starting  my  fire  with  a  cheerful  feeling ;  and  whilst 
doing  so  I  caught  myself  at  one  time  quietly  humming 
an  old  sea  ditty. 

I  saw  plainly  that  my  residence  at  this  point  was  at  an 
end,  and  that  Rapid  River  was  the  place  for  me  to  make 
my  home.  So  I  took  little  care  to  arrange  matters  about 
me  on  this  evening,  but  sat  down  in  a  matter-of-fact  way 
and  ate  my  supper,  whilst  the  sun  was  sinking  into  the 
west ;  but  when  night  came  on,  with  my  pipe  as  a  solace, 
I  thought  of  everything,  and  these  are  a  few  of  the  thou 
sand  and  one  things  that  coursed  through  my  mind.  I 
gathered  together  the  following  facts :  — 

First.  That  the  island  was  uninhabited,  fruitful,  and 


116  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

fertile,  abounding  in  everything  that  could  conduce  to 
my  comfort ;  pure  fresh  water  in  several  localities,  birds 
and  fishes  of  many  varieties,  goats,  trees  of  all  sizes  and 
growth,  tobacco  and  sweet  potatoes,  coal  and  sulphur;  an 
evidently  mild  and  even  climate,  and  many  useful  things, 
no  doubt,  which  I  had  not  yet  discovered  in  my  hasty 
circuit  of  it. 

Second.  That  I  was  the  only  living  soul  upon  it,  and 
that  all  these  natural  treasures  were  mine  to  avail  myself 
of  by  industry,  ingenuity,  and  perseverance. 

Such  being  the  facts  of  the  case,  what  should  be  my 
future  course,  and  what  my  plans  and  duty?  Amongst 
the  many  that  flashed  through  my  mind,  I  picked  out 
these,  as  forming  the  most  important  to  first  receive  my 
attention. 

First.  To  erect  a  strong,  serviceable  habitation  at 
Rapid  River,  which  I  had  already  in  my  mind  concluded 
to  call  the  Hermitage. 

Second.  To  ascertain  at  as  early  a  day  as  possible,  by 
the  best  means  at  my  service,  and  by  the  assistance  of 
my  "  Bowditch's  Navigator,"  the  latitude  and  longtitude  of 
my  island,  as  near  as  I  could  come  at  it. 

Third.  To  project  a  chart  from  the  "  Epitome,"  and  find 
out  how  far  I  wras  from  other  lands. 

Fourth.  To  never  desist  from  seeking  for  iron  ore  at 
every  opportunity,  for  with  that  I  could  do  almost  any 
thing. 

Fifth.  To  study  out  some  way  of  building  a  boat,  of 


SEARCH   FOB   INK.  117 

size  and  strength,  without  the  use  of  iron  or  timbers  to 
strengthen  her. 

Sixth.  To  take  the  greatest  care  of  my  seeds,  and 
watch  with  the  utmost  solicitude  those  which  I  had 
planted. 

Seventh.  To  capture  at  as  early  a  date  as  possible  one 
or  two  of  the  wild  goats,  so  as  to  be  able  to  breed  up 
tame  ones  for  my  use. 

Eighth.  To  procure  at  once  some  kind  of  ink,  and  keep 
up  my  journal  and  reckoning  on  birch-bark  leaves. 

These  were  amongst  the  first  tasks  that  my  brain  gave 
my  body  to  execute,  and  although  thousands  of  others 
ran  through  my  head,  they  all  more  or  less  depended 
upon  the  consummation  of  these  cardinal  ones.  At  a  late 
hour  I  sought  my  seaweed  couch  in  my  hut,  and  fell 
asleep.  The  next  morning  I  commenced  work  in  earnest. 
I  had  my  idea  about  ink  (which,  if  my  memory  served 
me  right,  the  old  Robinson  Crusoe  had  so  much  difficulty 
about  and  was  unable  to  make),  and  wending  my  way  to 
the  beach  of  Stillwater  Cove,  with  my  harpoon  in  hand, 
I  waded  in,  and  commenced  looking  carefully  for  squid  or 
cuttle-fish,  feeling  positive  that  the  ground  was  too  good 
for  them  not  to  be  found  there,  having  seen  them 
frequently  lying  dead  in  the  seaweed  whilst  passing 
around  the  island. 

I  had  not  long  to  hunt  before  I  saw  several  on  the 
pure  white  sand  before  me  at -the  bottom  of  the  water, 
about  the  usual  size  of  those  at  home,  say  some  six  inches 


118  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

in  length,  but  when  I  attempted  to  strike  one  with  the 
harpoon  it  darted  out  of  the  way,  backwards,  just  as  they 
used  to  do  in  my  boyhood  days,  ejecting  at  the  same  time 
the  fluid  from  his  body  which  I  desired  to  preserve.  I 
saw  that  it  was  useless  to  try  and  get  any  of  these  in  deep 
water,  and  therefore  waded  ashore  and  commenced  look 
ing  for  them  in  the  numerous  shallow  pools  that  the  re 
ceding  tide  had  left  near  the  margin  of  the  water,  and  I 
was  successful  in  finding  five  nice  fellows  embayed  in  a 
small,  shallow  pool,  not  six  feet  in  circumference,  whence  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  kicking  them  out  upon  the  sand, 
opening  them  with  my  knife,  and  pouring  the  contents  of 
their  dark  fluid  (which  is  the  sepia  of  commerce)  into  a 
deep  mussel-shell.  I  had  the  foundation  for  good  ink,  and 
with  the  addition  of  a  little  water,  and  a  quill  made  from 
the  feathers  of  my  friends  the  gulls,  I  was  easily  fitted 
out  with  pens,  ink,  and  birch-bark,  which  was  all  I  needed 
for  many  a  long  day  to  Come. 

This  task  ended,  and  a  trial  made  of  my  new  ink  by 
making  some  notes  and  entries  of  my  doings  up  to  this 
time,  I  commenced  upon  another,  and  that  was  the 
building  of  the  Hermitage  at  Rapid  River.  '  I  selected  a 
beautiful  spot  a  short  distance  below  the  fall,  the  noise  of 
which  was  delightful  to  my  ears,  and  laid  out  the  founda 
tions  for  my  future  residence.  I  was  at  least  three  weeks 
preparing  all  the  materials  for  the  building  of  the  same, 
passing  over  each  day  to  my  task  and  back  to  the  hut  to 
sleep.  I  was  determined  that  my  future  residence  should 


MAKE   MORTAR    AND    BEGIN    BUILDING.          119 

be  strong  and  well  built,  and  able  to  withstand  the  action 
of  wind  and  rain,  and  for  this  purpose  I  passed  my  time 
in  gathering  large  masses  of  clam  and  oyster  shells,  and 
reducing  them  to  lime  by  the  action  of  fire.  This  was  long 
and  laborious  work,  but  I  needed  lime  to  make  mortar, 
and  I  could  only  get  it  in  this  way.  I  also  wanted  some 
hair  to  mix  into  my  mortar,  and  this  puzzled  me  for  a 
day  or  two,  but  I  bethought  me  of  the  goat's  skin  that  I 
had  brought  home  with  me  from  near  Mirror  Lake,  and  I 
at  once  put  it  to  soak  in  one  of  the  large  sea-oyster  shells 
in  water  impregnated  with  wood  ashes  and  some  of  my 
lime  to  make  the  hair  come  off,  which  it  readily  did  after 
a  few  days.  I  then  went  about,  whilst  burning  my  shells 
for  lime,  to  capture  some  more  of  the  goats,  and  by  means 
of  numerous  snares  made  of  my  manilla  rope,  and  placed 
in  the  localities  that  I  found  they  frequented,  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  capturing  as  many  as  I  desired,  all  of 
\vhich  I  killed  and  cut  the  flesh  into  narrow  strips  and 
cured  it  in  the  air  for  future  use.  The  lye  in  which  I 
soaked  the  skins  gave  me  the  hair  for  my  mortar,  and  the 
skins  remaining,  although  not  tanned  in  a  proper  sense, 
were  useful  to  me  in  a  thousand  ways. 

When  I  had  gotten  together  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
lime,  hair,  and  nice  dry  sand,  and  an  immense  pile  of  the 
largest  stones  that  I  could  move,  I  commenced  to  build 
my  house. 

I  marked  out  a  parallelogram  of  what  I  should  judge 
by  my  eyes  to  be  about  twelve  feet  in  width  by  eighteen 


120  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

feet  in  length,  and  upon  these  staked-out  lines  I  dug  a 
trench  some  three  feet  in  depth,  and  into  it  I  pushed 
my  heaviest  stones  for  the  foundations,  taking  care  to 
place  particularly  large  and  smooth  ones  at  the  corners. 

Luckily  building  material  was  plenty  and  at  no  great 
distance.  Rocks  of  all  sizes  were  to  be  found  at  the  base 
of  the  rocky  point  that  was  just  below  me  on  Still  water 
Cove.  Of  course  I  used  much  larger  stones  than  I  could 
lift,  which  I  got  to  where  I  wanted  them,  and  into  place, 
by  means  of  small  rollers,  which  were  sections  of  quite 
large  tree-limbs,  that  I  had  cut  off  with  infinite  care  and 
patience  with  my  knife,  into  the  requisite  length,  and 
large,  strong  stakes  of  wood,  made  in  the  same  manner, 
which  I  used  as  crowbars,  or  as  we  sailors  should  call 
them,  and  more  properly,  handspikes.  After  my  first 
tier  was  laid  round  about  the  whole  trench,  I  rolled  in 
other  stones  on  top,  putting  mortar  between  them  before 
I  pried  them  into  place.  When  the  trench  was  filled  I 
commenced  to  use  smaller  stones,  but  still  ones  that  were 
quite  large  and  almost  unmanageable ;  and  as  the  walls 
got  higher,  I  had  to  content  myself  with  stones  that  I 
could  lift  with  my  hands.  But  then,  again,  I  at  this 
point  commenced  to  double  my  wall,  using  two  stones 
side  by  side  where  I  had  formerly  at  the  base  used  one. 
In  this  way  my  house,  gradually,  after  some  three  months' 
incessant  labor,  began  to  take  shape.  On  the  front,  sides, 
and  rear,  at  proper  distances  and  height,  I  inserted  large 
timbers  so  as  to  form  windows.  These  timbers,  which  were 


BUILDING  THE   STONE  HUT. -PAGE  120. 


COMPLETION   OF   MY   HOUSE.  121 

often  as  large  as  my  thigh,  I  obtained  by  finding  dead 
trees  that  would  suit  my  purpose  in  the  woods,  and  burn 
ing  them  off  at  the  proper  length,  so  that  I  could  handle 
them.  Of  course  a  foot  or  two  or  a  burned  end  was  of  no 
consequence,  as  it  was  laid  upon  the  wall  in  a  horizontal 
position,  and  mortared  into  its  place  with  the  stones 
that  were  piled  upon  it.  In  this  way  I  formed  rough  but 
strong  uprights  and  cross-pieces  for  my  door  and  windows, 
all  of  them  firmly  built  into  the  wall,  and  forming  part  of 
the  solid  walls  themselves. 

At  the  end  of  some  three  months,  after  incessant  and 
exhaustive  labor,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  stone 
work  to  my  house  all  done,  the  top  of  the  walls  being  at 
least  two  feet  above  my  head,  and  1  should  say  at  least 
twelve  inches  thick ;  this  was  all  mortared  up  both  on  the 
outside  and  inside,  and  was  as  strong  as  a  fort.  The  last 
layers  of  stone  gave  me  the  most  trouble,  but  by  means  of 
a  large,  nearly  round  stone,  upon  which  I  stood,  I  was 
enabled  to  finish  my  task,  although  at  great  pains.  The 
erection  of  the  roof  was  comparatively  an  easier  matter, 
although  that  also  took  me  a  long  time  and  was  only 
completed  after  great  patience.  I  found  growing  on  the 
shores  of  Rapid  River  a  species  of  cane,  and  I  found  that 
I  could  cut  these  down  without  difficulty,  and  gather 
ing  a  large  number  of  them,  I  spliced  them  together 
for  my  uprights  and  ridge-pole,  with  manilla  yarns,  and 
then  laid  the  remainder  close  together  from  the  ridge-pole 
to  the  eaves,  projecting  over  the  latter  some  two  feet. 


122  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

These  were  secured  to  the  ridge-pole  by  manilla  strands, 
and  in  the  centre  of  my  house  a  strong  forked  tree  as 
large  as  my  leg  received  the  ridge-pole  from  both  ends  of 
the  house,  and  sustained  it.  This  cane  roofing,  which  was 
both  light  and  strong,  I  thatched  heavily  with  sedge, 
similar  to  that  with  which  I  had  covered  my  hut.  I 
fastened  up  the  openings  that  I  had  left  for  windows  with 
goat  skins  for  the  present,  hanging  them  on  wooden  pegs 
which  I  could  remove  when  the  weather  was  fine.  At  the 
rear  end  of  my  house  I  had,  I  should  have  said,  built  me 
a  nice  open  fire-place  and  a  tall  chimney,  which  I  had  had 
to  finish  after  the  roof  was  done,  so  as  to  stand  upon  the 
latter  to  carry  the  chimney  up  high  enough  to  make  it 
safe  to  carry  away  the  sparks  from  my  thatch.  Into  this 
large,  dry,  airy,  and  clean  room,  I  brought  by  different 
trips  all  my  worldly  goods.  I  had  put  out  the  lamps  in 
the  tower  at  the  landing-place  hut  long  ago,  having  no  fur 
ther  need  of  it,  but  I  still  kept  it  as  a  receptacle  for  my 
spare  flint,  steel,  and  tinder,  and  knew  that  I  could  go 
there  to  obtain  them  to  start  a  fire  should  I  by  chance  be 
without  them  on  my  own  person. 

Whilst  my  house  was  in  course  of  construction  I  had 
not  been  idle  about  a  thousand  and  one  other  things, 
but  I  had  let  nothing  of  importance  interfere  with  this 
—  to  me  • —  imperative  duty.  After  my  house  was  all 
finished  I  commenced  setting  out  round  about  it,  at 
about  fifty  paces  distant,  a  species  of  alder,  which  I 
noticed  grew  rapidly  and  thickly,  and  which  I  foresaw 


WINTER   APPROACHING.  123 

would  in  a  very  few  years  entirely  conceal  my  habita 
tion.  When  I  had  gotten  things  well  about  me,  I  found 
by  my  journal  that  I  was  in  the  month  of  March,  —  in 
other  words,  that  the  summer  had  passed  and  that  I  had 
been  none  too  soon  in  preparing  myself  for  the  winter, 
which  was  yet  to  visit  me. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Make  a  hatchet  of  my  iron  hammer.  Make  matches  and  utensils  for 
house.  Team  of  goats,  chairs,  table,  etc.  Birch-bark  canoe.  Arrange 
ments  for  winter. 

I  HAVE  said  that  when  the  Hermitage  was  finished 
the  summer  had  passed  away.  Let  me  describe  what  the 
weather  had  been,  and  something  concerning  the  climate 
and  fruits  and  plants  that  had  been  coming  to  maturity, 
whilst  I  was  hard  at  work  on  my  house. 

I  found  the  summer  days  often  hot,  but  never  very  un 
pleasantly  so.  I  experienced  the  usual  amount  of  rainy 
weather  that  it  would  be  natural  to  find  in  a  similar  lati 
tude  in  the  northern  hemisphere.  There  were  days,  of 
course,  in  which  it  was  very  hot,  and  there  were  other 
days  in  which  large  quantities  of  rain  fell,  but  upon  the 
whole  the  climate  was  delightful,  more  like  that  of  the 
inland  sea  in  southern  Japan  than  anything  else  to  which 
I  can  compare  it.  The  island  was  singularly  free  from 
fogs  and  mists,  but  then  I  might  reasonably  look  for  these 
later  in  the  season.  When  the  day  was  very  sultry,  I  had 
always  the  beautiful  sandy  basin  of  Stillwater  Cove  to 
bathe  in.  So  far  I  had  nothing  to  complain  of  on  this 
124 


A  STEEL  HATCHET.  125 

score,  and  felt  confident  that  the  winter  would  be  mild 
and  short.  It  was  about  this  time  that  I  felt  the  need  of 
more  tools,  and  especially  a  hatchet,  which  I  finally  con 
cluded  to  make  out  of  my  hammer,  which,  be  it  remem 
bered,  I  had  constructed  out  of  the  boat's  anchor.  I  took 
this  hammer,  and  by  repeated  heatings  and  beating  with 
a  piece  of  the  remaining  shank,  I  forged  it  into  the  shape 
of  a  hatchet,  still  leaving  the  eye  as  it  was  when  used  for 
a  hammer.  I  then  went  to  the  place  where  I  had  been 
cast  on  shore,  and  procured  some  clay  like  that  from  which 
I  had  made  my  lamp  tower,  and  formed  some  rough  cru 
cibles  by  burning  them  in  hot  wood  fires.  Into  one  of 
these  I  put  my  hatchet-head  and  filled  round  about  it  with 
small  pieces  of  charcoal  and  slips  of  the  skin  of  my  goats 
and  small  pieces  of  unburned,  soft  wood,  and  carefully 
sealed  up  the  orifice  with  a  quantity  of  the  moist  clay,  and 
cast  the  crucible  into  a  hot  fire ;  not  hot  enough  to  fuse 
the  iron,  however,  and  kept  it  there,  watching  it  carefully 
from  time  to  time,  nearly  three  days,  when  I  dragged  it 
out  of  the  flames,  broke  open  the  crucible,  and  took  out 
my  hatchet-head,  converted  into  excellent  steel  of  superior 
hardness  and  temper.  I  soon  procured  a  soft  species  of 
stone  as  a  whetstone,  and  by  the  labor  of  a  few  hours 
brought  the  edge  to  a  fine  degree  of  sharpness,  and,  having 
fitted  a  handle  by  means  of  my  knife,  I  had  a  splendid 
instrument  to  aid  me.  No  mortal  ever  looked  upon  the 
works  of  his  own  hands  with  more  admiration  than  did  I 
upon  my  steel  hatchet.  Many  things  which  I  had  not 


126  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

before  deemed  possible  I  could  now  attempt.  After  I 
had  made  my  hatchet  I  commenced  many  improvements 
round  about  me.  I  made  several  trips  to  my  vegetable 
garden,  and  saw  with  the  utmost  satisfaction  that  all 
my  seeds  had  sprouted,  and  I  supplied  myself  with  all 
kinds  of  vegetables  during  the  whole  season.  I  took 
great  care  to  preserve  carefully  a  great  plenty  of  the  seeds 
of  each  species,  and  thought  more  of  that  than  enjoying 
them,  but  they  were  so  plenty  that  I  had  ample  of  nearly 
all  for  food.  My  wheat,  however,  I  saved  every  kernel  of 
for  sowing  next  year. 

I  had  by  this  time  several  very  tame  goats  tied  up  about 
the  hermitage,  and  I  made  up  my  rnind  to  break  a  span 
or  two  of  them  to  harness,  and  for  this  purpose,  as  I  could 
not  construct  wheels,  I  made  a  sled  by  bending  two  small 
limbs  in  the  shape  I  desired,  and  fastening  them  by  cross 
pieces,  all  of  which  I  held  together  by  straps  of  manilla 
lashings  and  by  holes  burned  with  a  hot  nail  from  one 
part  into  the  other,  into  which  I  drove  small  pegs  of  hard, 
seasoned  wood,  and  finally  turned  out  quite  a  respectable 
sled,  about  twice  as  large  as  a  common  boy's  sled,  and  the 
runners  much  wider,  so  as  not  to  sink  into  the  soil.  To 
this  I  attached  my  four  goats,  making  the  harness  out  of 
the  hides  of  those  that  I  had  killed,  which  I  sewed  to 
gether  in  good  shape  with  strong  manilla  twine  by 
means  of  my  bradawl,  making  real  good,  strong  work. 
The  traces  I  made  by  laying  up  small  strands  of  the 
manilla  rope,  and  ended  by  turning  out  four  sets  of 


A   TEAM   OF   GOATS.  127 

breast-plate  harnesses ;    strong   and   durable,  and   easily 
adjusted. 

I  found  very  little  difficulty  in  breaking  my  team  into 
drawing  this  sled,  and  by  means  of  it  I  brought  home 
many  useful  acquisitions  for  my  winter's  use,  but  chiefly 
coal  from  my  coal  mine,  which  was  about  two  miles  dis 
tant.  I  used  to  carry  my  sled  across  Rapid  River,  be 
low  the  falls,  and  then  drive  over  my  team  upon  a  sort 
of  rocky  causeway  that  I  had  built,  so  that  they  did  not 
have  to  tread  very  deep  in  the  water,  and  then,  harness 
ing  them  up,  I  used  to  start  for  the  mine,  and  by  means 
of  the  anchor-fluke,  I  dug  out  easily  enough  coal  in  a 
short  time  to  load  my  sled,  and  dragged  it  home  to  the 
river,  whence  I  transported  it  across  in  a  basket  of  willow 
twigs  that  I  had  made  in  my  leisure  moments.  In  this 
way,  before  winter,  I  had  at  least  two  tons  of  coal  near 
the  door-way  of  the  hermitage,  all  handy  for  winter  use. 
With  this  same  sled  and  team,  I  gathered  also  a  large 
amount  of  wood,  which  I  could  now  cut  into  proper 
lengths  with  my  hatchet.  I  constructed  of  small  stones 
and  mortar  in  one  side  of  my  large  fire-place,  a  sort  of 
grate,  with  a  chimney  made  of  sections  of  pottery  pipe 
manufactured  of  clay  from  the  landing  place,  that  led 
up  into  the  main  chimney,  in  which  I  could  burn  my 
coal  if  I  wished  to,  or  make  a  wood  fire  beside  it.  I 
found  very  little  difficulty  in  making  several  clumsy  but 
useful  vessels  of  clay,  which  I  baked  successfully  and 
glazed  with  salt ;  my  book  of  useful  arts  and  sciences 


128  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

giving  me  an  idea  how  to  do  it.  My  next  task  was  to 
make  matches,  and  the  information  necessary  for  this  I 
also  procured  from  my  book.  The  wood  I  easily  obtained 
by  splitting  up  small,  thin  sections  of  well-seasoned  pine 
with  my  hatchet,  and  these  again  I  sub-divided  into 
matches  with  my  knife.  I  then  caught  a  quantity  of  fish 
with  my  harpoon,  which  I  had  no  difficulty  in  doing  at 
any  time,  Especially  the  small  dog-shark  species,  and 
chopped  up  the  bones  of  the  head  with  my  hatchet,  plac 
ing  them  at  a  distance  from  my  habitation.  These  I 
allowed  to  putrify  till  they  were  luminous  with  phosphorus, 
which  I  gathered  carefully  in  the  night-time  by  separating 
it  from  the  putrid  mass  and  carefully  pressing  it.  I  then 
procured  some  turpentine  from  the  resinous  trees  near  to 
me,  and  made  a  mixture  of  sulphur,  phosphorus,  and  tur 
pentine,  which  I  heated,  and  into  which  I  dipped  each 
match  singly,  and  laid  it  aside  to  dry.  I  afterwards 
dipped  each  into  a  melted  solution  of  pure  spruce  gum, 
very  thin,  to  preserve  them  from  the  weather.  I  made 
several  attempts  before  I  was  successful,  but  at  last  I 
obtained  the  right  proportions  and  made  me  a  stock  of 
matches  that  worked  well  if  they  were  used  with  care, 
and  if  the  weather  was  not  too  damp,  when  I  was  often 
driven  to  the  use  of  my  flint  and  steel.  For  winter  pro 
visions  I  visited,  with  my  sled  and  team,  the  sweet-potato 
fields,  and  laid  in  a  large  stock,  also  picking  a  quantity  of 
the  tobacco  plant  and  curing  it  for  my  own  use,  and  this 
was  my  greatest  solace  in  my  loneliness. 


TANNER,    TAILOR,    AND    SHOEMAKER.  129 

I  found  upon  the  island  a  species  of  gourd,  and  I  soon 
had  in  my  home  a  set  of  these  useful  utensils,  which,  by 
dividing,  I  also  made  into  bowls  and  saucers.  I  also, 
from  Breakwater  ledge,  procured  any  number  of  the  large 
deep  mussel-shells,  nearly  a  foot  in  length,  which  were 
useful  as  receptacles  for  all  sorts  of  things. 

I  found  no  difficulty,  by  a  treatment  which  I  found  in 
my  book,  in  preserving,  by  means  of  tannin  procured  from 
the  inner  bark  of  a  species  of  scrub  oak  with  which  the 
island  abounded,  all  the  skins  of  my  goats,  and  I  soon 
gathered  together  a  stock  of  both  tanned  and  untanned 
ones,  some  with  the  hair  on  and  some  with  it  removed.  I 
hated  to  attack  my  friends  the  seals,  and  yet  it  was  about 
this  time  that  I  made  a  trip  across  the  island  and  killed 
ten  of  them  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  their  skins, 
which  I  added  to  my  stock. 

I  found  no  difficulty,  by  means  of  my  knife,  in  cutting 
out  quite  a  respectable  pair  of  trousers,  and  a  sort  of  hunt 
ing  jacket  from  the  goat-skins ;  but  the  sewing  of  them 
together  was  a  harder  task.  Still,  before  winter  set  in,  I 
was  clothed  in  quite  a  nice  buckskin  suit,  and  had,  with 
my  seal-skins  and  goat-skins  with  the  hair  left  on,  the 
withal  to  make  at  any  time  a  winter  suit  that  would 
protect  me  from  the  cold,  so  that  I  had  that  trouble 
off  my  mind.  As  for  shoes,  I  easily  made  me  a  pair  of 
moccasins  of  the  goat-skin,  with  the  hair  side  within, 
which  were  very  comfortable  and  useful.  I  also  from  my 
skins  made  me  a  much  more  useful  and  ornamental  cap  to 


130  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

replace  the  one  of  rushes  that  I  had  worn  throughout  the 
summer. 

I  also  made  me  a  nice  tobacco  pouch,  and  several  other 
useful  articles  of  skin,  including  a  sort  of  game  bag,  which 
I  carried  over  my  shoulder  by  a  broad  skin  baud  ;  this 
latter  was  especially  useful  to  me.  I  also  made  from  my 
clay  several  useful  but  rather  clumsy  pipe-heads,  and  with 
a  reed  stem  I  was  fitted  on  this  score  and  had  no  more 
fears  about  breaking  my  old  clay  one.  For  meat  for  the 
winter  I  laid  in  large  stocks  of  my  dried  or  jerked  goat's 
flesh,  and  I  had  little  fears  on  this  score,  as  I  could  always 
procure  fresh  meat  now,  when  I  desired  it,  for  my  goats 
had  begun  to  propagate  already.  From  them  I  already 
obtained  milk,  in  larger  quantities  than  I  had  any  use  for, 
but  had  too  many  things  to  think  of,  of  more  importance 
than  to  try  at  this  time  to  make  cheese.  I  caught  in  the 
river  large  quantities  of  a  species  of  herring,  and  also  a 
few  fine  salmon,  which  visited  the  river,  but  only  for  a 
short  time,  being  unable  to  ascend  the  falls.  All  of  these 
I  cured  by  smoking,  by  building  a  hut  round  about  them 
and  keeping  them  for  a  long  time  in  the  densest  smoke  by 
burning  green  wood  underneath  them.  I  cured  also  in 
this  way  some  few  hams  of  my  goats. 

After  having  gotten  these  things  about  me,  I  tackled 
others  of  less  importance,  perhaps,  but  necessary  for  my 
comfort.  In  one  of  my  excursions  to  the  coal-mine  I  dis 
covered  what  I  felt  convinced  was  limestone,  and  upon 
bringing  a  piece  home,  and  testing  it  by  fire,  I  found  I 


HOUSE  FURNISHING.  131 

was  correct,  so  here  I  had  all  the  lime  I  should  ever  need 
for  any  purpose,  easily  procured  by  burning  the  stone  and 
gathering  up  the  residue.  I  now  commenced  upon  the 
interior  of  my  house,  and  in  the  first  place  made  myself  a 
nice  hammock  of  four  goat-skins,  with  the  hair  inside, 
which  I  stretched  from  the  central  post  of  my  room  to 
one  of  the  window  jambs.  I  then  went  to  work  upon  a 
bed,  and  cut  first  with  my  hatchet  four  uprights  with 
forked  ends,  like  the  letter  Y,  from  as  many  limbs,  about 
four  inches  in  diameter  and  three  feet  high ;  into  these 
forks  I  placed  two  long  poles,  some  two  inches  in  diam 
eter,  and  fastened  them  there  securely  by  means  of 
manilla  strands.  I  then  braced  the  ends  and  sides  by 
lashing,  both  lengthwise  and  endwise,  poles  about  one 
foot  from  the  ground,  which  kept  the  whole  in  shape,  and 
although  it  was  not  so  strong  as  if  dovetailed  together  by 
a  cabinet-maker,  it  answered  all  purposes,  and  when 
pushed  up  against  the  wall,  in  the  corner,  was  further 
supported  upon  two  sides.  Across  this  I  stretched  cords 
of  manilla,  and  over  them  I  laid  long,  soft,  pliable  rushes, 
and  over  them  again  seal-skins,  with  the  hair  side  up 
ward  ;  and  I  had  at  last  a  capital  bed.  My  chairs  did  not 
give  me  so  much  trouble,  for  I  found  two  old  roots  of  trees, 
that,  with  a  little  hacking  off  here  and  there  with  my 
hatchet  and  a  goat  skin  for  a  seat,  made  as  easy  chairs  as 
any  body  ever  sat  in  •?  of  course  they  were  too  heavy  to  be 
moved  about,  but  for  all  practical  purposes  they  were  per 
fect,  and  I  could  rest  in  them  with  the  greatest  comfort 
and  ease. 


132  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

With  my  clay  I  easily  baked  some  shallow  dishes 
with  a  handle,  into  which  I  poured  rny  sharks'  liver  oil 
and  fitted  with  pith  wick  and  had  no  want  of  light.  One 
of  these  lamps  I  suspended  from  the  ridgepole  in  nearly 
the  centre  of  the  room,  just  clear  of  the  upright,  and  two 
or  three  feet  above  my  head,  fitted  with  three  wicks, 
which,  when  lit  at  night  gave  me  a  pleasant  and  abundant 
light.  I  made  favorites  of  one  or  two  of  my  young  goats, 
and  used  to  allow  them  to  occupy  the  house  with  me,  and 
became  much  attached  to  them,  and  in  the  evening  when 
not  too  busy,  amused  myself  by  teaching  them  to  walk  on 
their  hind  legs,  and  other  playful  tricks  which  seemed  for 
a  moment  to  make  me  forget  my  loneliness.  I  was  not 
satisfied  with  what  I  had  yet  done  for  the  interior  of  my 
house,  and  I  therefore  went  to  work  and  made  myself  a 
table  on  the  same  plan  as  the  bed,  except  that  it  was 
higher  and  much  lighter,  and  across  this  I  stretched  a 
large  section  of  birch  bark  which  I  stripped  from  a  tree ; 
this  table  pleased  me  so  much  that  I  went  to  work  and 
made  a  lighter  one  still  for  my  ink,  pens,  and  books,  etc., 
retaining  the  other  for  eating  purposes.  In  fact,  before 
the  winter  was  ended  I  had  four  of  these  tables  in  the 
house,  which  were  very  handy,  and  yet  after  all  were  not 
difficult  to  make.  For  a  door,  I  cut  several  canes  and 
lashed  them  together  with  manilla  rope  strands,  and  hung 
it  by  the  same  material,  but  it  would  not  open  or  shut 
very  well,  and  I  was  forced  to  lift  it  carefully,  but  then  I 
only  closed  and  opened  it  once  a  day,  morning  and  night, 


CEMENT    FLOORING.  133 

The  floor  of  my  house  troubled  me  more  than  anything 
else,  but  finally  I  covered  it  with  a  coating  of  clay  that  I 
brought  on  the  sled  by  repeated  trips  to  the  clay  field ; 
this  I  mixed  with  a  quantity  of  lime  and  sand  and  put  it 
down  whilst  moist,  and  it  formed  a  sort  of  cement,  and 
soon  became  hard  and  firm,  but  it  was  always  dusty  to  a 
degree  and  not  as  clean  as  I  could  have  wished,  but  it  did 
very  well,  —  at  least,  I  could  think  of  nothing  to  im 
prove  it. 

It  was  at  this  time,  when  I  seemed  to  have  gotten 
everything  well  about  me  for  the  winter,  which  was  sen 
sibly  approaching,  for  it  was  now  the  month  of  May,  and 
some  of  the  days  had  been  quite  chilly  and  unpleasant, 
that  I  was  taken  with  the  insane  idea  of  building  a  boat. 
I  do  not  know  for  what  earthly  purpose  I  desired  one,  ex 
cept,  possibly,  I  might  coast  along  in  Still-water  Cove  or 
the  margin  of  Perseverance  Bay  and  if  I  found  anything 
that  I  needed  I  could  transport  it  better  in  the  boat  than 
any  other  way.  I  was  well  aware  that  I  had  no  tools  to 
make  a  boat  with,  but  for  that  very  reason  I  was  de 
termined  to  make  one.  I  had  made  up  my  mind,  if  I 
must  play  the  part  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  that  I  would  at 
least  prove  to  myself,  if  to  no  one  else,  that  thousands  of 
things  can  be  accomplished  by  a  little  ingenuity  and  con 
trivance  that  seem  difficult  upon  first  view.  For  instance, 
I  thought  at  once  of  several  ways  in  which  I  could  make 
a  boat :  one,  by  hollowing  out  a  log  with  my  hatchet  and 
by  means  of  fire  j  another  by  making  a  light  frame  of 


134  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

twigs  and  stretching  skins  over  it ;  or  still  another  and 
very  much  the  best  method,  by  taking  the  bark  from  a 
birch  tree  and  making  an  Indian  birch-bark  canoe.  This 
latter  was  the  easiest  and  simplest,  and  a  plan  that  I  knew 
something  about,  so  I  went  about  in  the  woods  till  I 
found  a  splendid  great  birch  that  pleased  my  eye,  some 
two  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  with  a  bark  seemingly 
without  a  flaw.  It  took  me  nearly  a  day  to  build  up  a 
kind  of  platform  of  wood  and  stones,  so  as  to  reach  high 
enough  up  the  trunk  of  the  tree  to  make  a  circular  in 
cision  with  my  knife  at  about  fifteen  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  then  one  perpendicular  till  within  about  two 
feet  of  the  ground,  where  I  made  another  round  about  the 
tree,  leaving  me  a  strip  of  bark  some  thirteen  feet  in 
length.  This  I  forced  off,  using  great  care  not  to  tear  or 
split  it,  by  means  of  a  series  of  wedges  which  I  forced 
in  under  the  bark  with  my  hatchet.  At  last  the  piece 
lay  before  me  upon  the  ground,  and  the  worst  part 
of  my  task  was  done,  for  I  soon  brought  the  ends  to 
gether,  filling  them  first  with  melted  pitch,  and  lashed 
them  with  thin  withes  of  a  kind  of  willow  which  I  split 
for  the  purpose,  the  same  as  the  Indians  do ;  and  having 
sewed  and  lashed  up  both  ends,  after  cutting  the  bark 
with  my  knife  in  the  right  shape,  I  split  up  with  my 
hatchet  long,  limber,  thin  pieces  of  a  species  of  ash,  in 
the  green  state,  something  like  hoops  to  a  flour  barrel,  but 
somewhat  wider  and  stronger,  and  with  these  cut  in 
different  lengths,  and  inserted  within  the  bark,  I  gave  the 


BIRCH-BAKK    CANOE.  135 

canoe  its  shape,  the  longest,  widest,  and  strongest  ones 
being  in  the  centre,  from  which  they  shortened  towards 
each  end.  Inside  of  the  gunwale  the  whole  length  on 
each  side  I  stretched  a  pliable  cane  pole,  rolling  the  bark 
round  about  it  and  sewing  the  whole  down  with  manilla 
strands  and  green  withes  of  willow. 

It  was  amazing  to  see  what  a  beautiful,  light,  and 
graceful  boat  I  had  produced  with  only  about  a  week's 
labor;  one  that  I  could  put  upon  my  head  and  carry 
towards  the  water  with  ease.  I  soon,  by  means  of  my 
hatchet  and  knife,  fashioned  out  a  paddle,  and  my  canoe 
was  complete.  I  launched  her  in  Stillwater  Cove,  and 
she  floated  like  a  duck,  and  was  besides  of  a  beautiful 
model,  and,  as  I  well  knew,  would  stand  terrific  weather 
if  properly  handled,  being  one  of  the  best  sea-boats  in 
the  world,  not  excepting  the  famous  Nantucket  whale- 
boats.  I  was  delighted  with  my  success. 

I  did  not  gather  all  these  things  about  me  without  many 
bitter  hours  of  loneliness  and  despair ;  but  their  construc 
tions  and  the  reading  of  my  book,  which  I  consulted 
almost  nightly,  kept  me  often  from  miserable  repinings. 
I  felt  that  I  was  gaining,  and  that  I  had  not  yet  done 
making  nature,  ingenuity,  and  industry  improve  my  con 
dition  and  increase  my  comforts. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Make  chairs,  and  arrange  my  house,  seal-skins,  and  goat-skins.  Provide 
provisions  for  winter.  Discover  wild  grapes,  and  make  wine  and  vinegar. 
Find  potassium,  or  saltpetre.  Make  gunpowder,  and  by  means  of  my  com 
pass  discover  iron.  Thoughts  of  the  future. 

THE  completion  of  my  canoe,  which  I  named  the 
"  Fairy,"  was  a  great  delight  to  me,  and  I  made  several 
trips  in  her  along  the  coast  in  Stillwater  Cove,  and  made 
an  exploration  near  the  place  where  I  had  first  landed. 
Somewhat  into  the  interior  of  the  island,  I  came  upon 
what  was  a  great  discovery  for  me, — although  I  had 
the  seeds  amongst  my  stores,  and  had  already  planted 
some,  —  and  that  was  grapes,  in  large  and  abundant 
clusters,  growing  wild  and  naturally.  Here  was  both 
food  and  drink  for  me,  and  they  were  at  this  time  in 
their  prime.  From  them  I  could  make  vinegar,  wine, 
and  raisins.  I  gathered  a  large  quantity,  which  I  placed 
in  the  canoe  and  transported  to  the  Hermitage,  and 
although  late  in  season  hung  up  many  bunches  to  dry  in 
the  still  quite  warm  sun,  and  from  the  remainder  I 
extracted  the  juice  by  pressing  them  between  my  hands 
and  catching  the  liquor  in  several  of  my  numerous  earthen 
jars.  The  flavor  of  these  grapes  was  a  little  wild,  but 
pleasant  and  agreeable.  I  knew  that  fermentation  would 
136 


MAKE  WINE  AND  NEEDLES.  137 

take  place,  and  that  in  time  I  should  have  a  light  claret 
wine,  and  thereafter  good  wine  vinegar.  To  cause  fer 
mentation,  and  to  improve  the  flavor,  I  put  a  piece  of 
goat's  flesh  into  each  vessel,  and  covered  up  the  mouths 
with  earthen  covers  that  I  had  made  to  each. 

I  was  no  longer  in  any  fear  about  expending  my  manilla 
rope,  for  I  had  some  time  since  begun  to  use  strips  of 
rawhide  of  the  goats  skins  for  lashings,  than  which  no 
thing  could  be  better,  and  I  also  cut  many  skins  into  very 
line  strips  after  they  were  tanned,  which  served  me  for 
smaller  strings,  and  even  thread  for  rough  sewing.  For 
liner  sewing  I  often  used  the  sinews  of  these  creatures, 
and  I  had  by  this  time  converted  several  of  my  nails  into 
steel,  after  having  pierced  them  with  an  eye,  and  by 
grinding  them  down  and  polishing  them  upon  stones 
I  had  made  several  very  good  sail-needles,  which  were 
extremely  useful,  and  it  was  a  small  matter  to  make  a 
"  palm,"  or  sailor's  thimble,  from  the  skin  of  a  goat,  to  go 
upon  the  right  hand,  to  force  the  needle  through  any 
material,  exactly  the  same  as  is  done  by  sailors  in  all 
their  stitching  and  sail-making.  In  place  of  the  little 
round  thimble  fixed  into  the  centre  of  the  palm,  to  receive 
the  head  of  the  needle  in  pushing,  I  inserted  a  flint-stone 
with  a  roughened  surface,  which  answered  the  purpose  very 
well,  and  I  could  now  do  all  kinds  of  rough  sewing  with 
out  the  use  of  my  awl,  which  had  been  a  slow  and  labo 
rious  manner  of  proceeding.  From  this  time  forth  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  sewing  my  jackets  and  trousers  with  strong 


138  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

sinews,  which  held  them  firmly  together  in  the  seams.  It 
is  scarcely  credible  how  many  things  I  gathered  around 
about  me  that  were  useful  as  well  as  ornamental. 

Before  I  had  done  completely  furnishing  my  house  I 
set  about  making  me  a  movable  chair,  as  well  as  the  easy 
ones  that  I  had  made  of  old  roots,  and  this  I  did  by  means 
of  my  hatchet.  I  procured  four  smooth  limbs  of  trees,  two 
of  which  were  about  four  feet  in  length  and  two  about 
one  foot  six  inches.  The  latter  were  to  serve  as  the  front 
legs,  the  former  as  the  back  legs  and  also  the  back  of 
the  chair.  These  limbs  were  about  two  inches  in  diameter, 
as  I  did  not  wish  the  chair  to  be  heavy,  but  light  and 
portable.  Into  all  these  uprights  I  bored  holes  at  proper 
distances  by  means  of  my  anchor  shank,  heated  to  a  red 
heat,  which  I  thrust  through  them,  and  cutting  smaller 
round  limbs  for  rungs  I  forced  them  into  the  holes  made 
by  the  hot  iron,  and  soon  had  the  skeleton  of  a  nice  light 
chair  made  to  my  hand.  I  was  so  pleased  with  it  that  I 
set  about  another  immediately,  and  soon  had  it  also 
finished.  It  was  not  at  all  a  difficult  job  for  a  mechanic. 
For  the  seat  of  these  chairs,  upon  one  I  wove  rushes  thick 
and  strong,  and  upon  the  other  I  laced  a  fine  piece  of  seal 
skin  with  the  fur  left  on.  They  were  both  useful  and 
comfortable,  but  rather  straight  in  the  back,  like  the 
old  ancestral  chairs  that  I  used  to  see  in  the  attics  in 
Vermont. 

I  had  got  tired  by  this  time  shooting  at  the  wild  pigeons 
with  my  arrows,  and  found  no  difficulty  in  capturing  all 


IN    SEARCH   OF   IRON.  139 

I  wanted  by  means  of  snares,  made  from  the  hair  of  my 
goats,  which  I  set  at  the  watering-place  whenever  I  wanted 
any  of  them  for  food,  and  gave  over  firing  ten  or  fifteen 
shots  before  I  could  kill  one,  when  I  could  capture  a  dozen 
in  an  hour  should  I  need  them. 

I  took  down  my  goat-skins  at  the  windows  and  replaced 
them  by  thin  skins  of  the  same  animal,  almost  parchment, 
which  gave  some  light  through  them,  and  fastened  them 
up  with  thorns,  driven  into  the  wood,  for  the  winter,  the 
open  door  giving  me,  with  their  subdued  light,  enough  to 
see  by  so  as  to  perform  all  the  work  that  I  wanted  to 
inside,  and  when  night  came  I  had  my  lamps  in  full  blast, 
for  oil  cost  me  nothing. 

I  made,  before  winter  set  in,  several  excursions,  in  all 
directions,  and  especially  one  in  the  direction  of  the 
mountain  that  lay  upon  my  right  hand,  only  about  a  mile 
from  the  Hermitage,  when  I  went  to  the  coal-mine. 
This  mountain  I  made  up  my  mind  to  ascend,  and  see  if 
I  could  not  make  some  new  discovery.  I  fought  my  way 
up  its  steep  sides  till  I  had  arrived  at  nearly  one-half  the 
distance,  apparently,  from  its  summit,  when  I  was  halted 
by  the  appearance  of  a  small  brook  that  trickled  past  my 
feet.  I  noticed  that  the  water  and  the  stones  were  both 
of  a  brown,  rusty  color,  and  it  flashed  upon  me  that  it 
must  be  caused  by  iron.  If  I  could  only  find  that  sub 
stance  I  thought  that  I  could  be  almost  happy,  even  in  my 
solitude.  What  could  I  not  do  with  that  metal  to  aid  me? 
the  handling  of  it  would  be  to  me  child's  play.  I  could 


140  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

make  of  it  cast-steel,  and  of  cast-steel  all  manner  of  tools 
by  means  of  moulds.  This  working  in  iron  had  been^my 
trade,  and  I  had  no  occasion  to  consult  my  book  to  know 
how  to  avail  myself  of  it  should  I  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  it.  I  followed  this  little  trickling  brook,  not  over 
six  inches  wide,  till  it  branched  into  two  smaller  ones, 
and,  still  following  the  smaller  one,  traced  it  till  I  came  to 
a  place  where,  in  a  bubbling  spring,  the  water  issued  from 
the  mountain's  side.  The  discoloration  of  all  the  stones 
near  me  proved  to  me  that  I  was  near  iron,  and  that  the 
mountain  whence  the  tiny  streams  issued  contained  it; 
but  in  how  large  masses  I  could  not  judge. 

I  left  my  little  stream  and  looked  about  me  carefully, 
to  the  right  and  left,  for  I  did  not  want  to  pierce  the  moun 
tain  whence  the  water  issued,  as  I  wanted  a  dryer  spot  to 
make  my  explorations,  and  knew  that  if  there  was  iron 
it  would  be  found  near  by  the  brook  as  well  as  in  the 
exact  spot  whence  the  spring  burst  forth.  I  finally,  at  a 
little  distance  to  the  left  hand  and  rather  down  the  hill, 
found  a  place  that  looked  as  if  it  might  prove  a  good 
locality  to  prosecute  my  search.  The  ground  was  cov 
ered  with  boulders,  of  different  sizes,  and  there  was  quite 
an  opening  on  the  mountain  side,  the  undergrowth  being 
only  shrubs  and  plants,  with  the  trees  and  groves  below 
me  in  larger  groups.  In  this  opening  I  set  to  work, 
turning  over  such  boulders  as  I  could  lift,  and  there  were 
many  that  by  aid  of  a  handspike,  cut  from  a  sapling  with 
my  hatchet,  I  was  able  to  remove  and  send  bounding 


A  LUCKY   FIND.  141 

down  the  mountain  side.  I  scratched  into  the  side  of 
the  mountain  in  this  way  till  I  had  made  quite  a  little 
excavation,  but  I  was  obliged  to  give  it  up  and  return 
home  for  my  pickaxe,  as  I  called  my  anchor-fluke,  and  with 
this  instrument,  and  carrying  my  dinner  with  me,  I 
attacked  the  mountain  the  next  day  and  made  more 
progress.  After  working  some  little,  in  an  irregular  way, 
into  the  mountain  side,  —  for  I  had  to  avoid  the  heavier 
boulders  and  solid  stone,  —  I  came  upon  a  crystallized 
mass  between  two  rocks  that  seemed  to  be  exuding  from 
the  mountain  side.  It  looked  something  like  common 
salt,  and  I  put  some  of  it  in  my  mouth  to  see  if  I  could 
recognize  what  it  was  by  the  taste.  It  had  hardly  reached 
my  palate  before  I  sank  down  upon  the  earth  where  I 
stood,  with  the  excitement  of  the  knowledge  of  the  dis 
covery  that  I  felt  sure  I  had  made.  My  sense  of  taste  told 
me  plainly  that  I  had  found  saltpetre,  and  saltpetre  meant 
gunpowder!  GUNPOWDER!  and  gunpowder  meant  strength 
to  protect  myself  with  and  power  to  blow  the  mountain 
to  atoms  to  come  at  my  iron  should  nature  try  to  resist 
me  by  enfolding  it  concealed  in  its  bosom.  I  grasped 
my  pickaxe  and  picked  out  quite  a  lump  of  my  precious 
discovery,  and  started  hastily  for  home. 

It  was  too  late  to  do  much  on  that  day,  as  my  usual 
household  cares  and  the  milking  of  my  goats  and  getting 
supper  took  up  most  of  my  time  ;  besides  I  wanted  to  con 
sult  my  book  as  to  the  proportions  in  which  to  mix  my 
ingredients  to  make  gunpowder.  I  knew  nearly  the  right 


142  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

proportions,  and  felt  confident  that  I  could  get  it  exactly 
by  repeated  experiment,  but  I  also  knew  that  my  book 
would  give  it  to  me  exactly  and  save  me  much  loss  of 
time  in  this  direction.  I  knew  also  that  willow  or  alder 
made  the  best  charcoal  for  gunpowder,  and,  thank  God, 
there  was  no  lack  of  these  trees  upon  the  island.  If  I 
obtained  gunpowder  I  could  make  some  kind  of  a  gun,  for 
I  knew  that,  in  ancient  history,  cannon  even  had  been 
made  of  leather,  and  fired  repeatedly  without  bursting.  I 
could  certainly  make  a  tube  of  some  kind,  so  strongly 
reinforced  with  skin  and  twine  and  rawhide,  that  it  would 
stand  the  discharge  of  a  small  quantity  of  powder  with 
out  bursting,  and  if  I  found  iron  I  would  soon  solve  all 
the  difficulties  about  a  gun  barrel,  let  me  once  get  hold  of 
the  raw  material  in  any  quantity. 

A  thought  struck  me  in  this  connection.  I  would  soon 
prove  whether  there  was  iron  in  the  mountain  side  by 
taking  my  compass  there  on  the  next  trip,  and  seeing  if  it 
was  drawn  from  the  true  north  towards  the  mountain  side, 
and  if  so,  in  what  direction  :  this  would  tell  me  how  to  dig 
towards  my  treasure,  and  not  waste  time  by  going  in  any 
wrong  direction.  This  seemed  a  happy  thought,  and  I  was 
jubilant  over  having  conceived  it.  The  only  thing  that 
I  did  to  help  things  along  for  the  morrow  was  to  pick  out 
carefully,  from  my  wood-fire  ashes,  small  pieces  of  char 
coal  that  I  thought  would  serve  my  purpose,  and  to  pick 
off  from  several  pieces  of  my  coal  a  quantity  of  sulphur 
nil  ready  for  my  experiments.  The  next  morning  I  set  to 


GUNPOWDER.  143 

work  in  good  earnest,  and  having  discovered  the  propor 
tions  in  which  to  add  my  different  ingredients,  I  soon  had 
the  pulverized  charcoal,  sulphur,  and  saltpetre  together, 
and  then,  moistening  the  mass  slightly,  I  kneaded  them 
together  till  they  were  completely  incorporated.  I  then, 
by  a  slow  heat,  dried  my  gunpowder  cake  upon  hot  stones 
that  I  heated  at  the  fire  and  then  carried  to  a  distance, 
first  carefully  dusting  them,  and  placed  my  gunpowder 
paste  upon  them  in  an  "earthen  jar  to  be  dried.  As  my 
cake  was  not  very  large,  I  was  not  very  many  hours  in 
doing  this  j  and  as  I  knew  that  I  ought  not  to  use  any  iron 
or  stone  in  pulverizing  the  mass,  whilst  this  was  going 
on,  I  procured  a  smooth  rolling-pin  made  from  the  round 
branch  of  a  tree,  and  smoothed  quite  a  surface  on  the 
upper  side  of  a  large  fallen  tree  with  my  hatchet,  so  that 
I  had  a  sort  of  table  to  roll  my  powder  upon.  Again,  to 
prevent  all  accidents,  when  my  cake  was  thoroughly  dry, 
I  carried  it  bit  by  bit,  having  broken  it  by  a  blow  of  my 
wooden  rolling-pin,  to  my  fallen-tree  table,  where  I 
crushed  it  under  the  roller,  putting  pieces  no  larger  than 
my  thumb-nail  under  the  roller  at  one  time,  so  if  there 
should  be  an  explosion,  it  would  be  on  so  small  a  scale 
that  it  would  not  injure  me  in  the  least,  should  it  take 
place.  As  fast  as  this  small  amount  was  pulverized,  I 
carried  it  again  to  a  distance  and  placed  it  in  a  gourd  for 
safe  keeping,  but  I  pulverized  very  little  before  I  inter 
rupted  my  task  to  rush  with  quite  a  handful  to  my  fire, 
and,  taking  a  pinch,  I  cost  it  into  the  flame,  and,  puff,  puff, 


144  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

puff,  it  ignited  as  it  struck  the  fire,  just  as  the  particles 
used  to  do  in  my  boyhood  days.  Even  this  did  not,  how 
ever,  satisfy  me.  I  laid  the  rest  down  upon  the  floor,  and 
standing  at  a  distance  with  a  coal  in  one  end  of  a  cleft 
stick,  touched  it,  when  it  exploded  as  quickly  and  com 
pletely  as  any  ever  turned  out  by  any  mill.  One  more 
proof  and  I  would  be  convinced.  I  ran  and  got  from  the 
sea-shore  one  of  the  large  shells  for  which  I  have  no  name, 
but  which  I  had  formerly  used  as  lamp  reservoirs,  and 
going  to  my  powder  table,  soon  pulverized  enough  to 
pour  a  handful  into  it,  and  to  close  up  the  lips  with  moist 
clay,  except  one  orifice;  to  this  I  laid  a  piece  of  manilla 
soaked  in  the  dampened  powder  as  a  slow  match,  and 
having  set  fire  to  the  same,  and  retired  to  a  safe  distance, 
I  awaited  the  result.  It  seemed  an  eternity  before  the 
slow  match  burned  to  the  orifice,  but  when  I  had  almost 
given  up  hope,  in  one  instant,  with  a  loud  report,  the  sea- 
shell  was  burst  into  a  thousand  fragments.  I  was  success 
ful  ;  power  arid  strength  were  added  to  my  resources.  I 
lay  down  upon  the  sand  by  the  sea-shore  where  I  had 
retired  to  watch  the  explosion,  and  fell  into  a  brown 
study,  which  enwrapped  me,  body  and  soul,  for  many  hours, 
till  I  was  called  to  myself  again  by  the  decreasing  light  of 
the  setting  sun.  The  next  day  I  sallied  forth,  armed  with 
my  compass,  for  the  mountain  side,  and  upon  arrival  I  noted 
the  direction  of  the  magnetic  north  by  my  compass,  the 
card  of  which  I  had  released  from  its  packing  and  set  upon 
its  pivot.  Having  carefully  ascertained  this,  I  entered  the 


I   IMPROVE   MY   GUNPOWDER.  145 

small  hole  that  I  had  made  in  the  mountain  side,  and  held 
the  compass  in  several  places  against  the  earth,  when  the 
needle  turned  perceptibly  away  from  the  magnetic  north 
and  pointed  in  towards  the  interior  of  the  mountain,  and 
by  several  experiments  I  found  out  in  just  what  direction 
I  ought  to  advance,  and  by  the  attraction  of  the  needle  I 
felt  sure  that,  the  ore,  which  I  now  was  convinced  was 
there,  could  not  be  very  far  distant  from  where  I  stood, 
and  that  one  large  blast  would  lay  it  open  to  me.  I 
therefore  went  to  work  and  gathered  quite  a  quantity 
of  the  saltpetre  and  started  for  home  to  make  my  gun 
powder  for  the  blast  that  was  to  open  up  to  me  my  long- 
sought  treasure,  valuable  to  me  far  beyond  any  other 
metal  on  this  earth  in  the  circumstances  in  which  I  was 
placed. 

In  five  days'  time  I  found  myself  in  possession  of  over 
twenty  pounds,  I  should  judge,  of  good  gunpowder.  I 
found  by  my  book  that  it  was  not  at  all  peculiar  to  find 
potassium  as  I  had  found  mine,  and  further,  that  to  purify 
it  I  needed  to  mix  it  with  equal  parts  of  wood-ashes,  and 
then  add  water  and  allow  it  to  stand  a  few  hours,  and 
then  draw  off  the  lye  and  place  it  for  three  days  in  the 
sun,  in  shallow  vessels,  to  evaporate,  and  then  boil  down 
what  was  left,  to  procure  absolutely  pure  saltpetre,  all 
of  which  I  did.  And  when  I  had  manufactured  my 
powder,  and  observed  by  experiment  that  it  was  much 
sharper  and  louder  in  explosions  than  before,  showing  the 
improvement  of  purifying  the  saltpetre,  I  placed  the 


146  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

whole  lot  in  my  goatskin  bag  and  started  for  the  moun 
tain.  Arriving  at  my  excavation,  I  looked  about  to  see 
what  I  could  do  to  make  my  explosion  effectual  and  do 
the  most  good.  By  examination,  I  found  that  there  was 
quite  a  space  between  the  two  inner  boulders  that  ob 
structed  my  way,  and  a  sort  of  vent-hole  that  led,  I  knew 
not  where.  Into  this  I  commenced  to  pour  my  powder, 
and  used  up  over  two-thirds  of  all  I  possessed  before  I 
saw  any  result.  Finally,  the  crevice,  just  as  I  began  to 
despair  and  thought  I  had  thrown  away  and  lost  it  all, 
showed  that  it  was  full  by  refusing  to  receive  any  more. 
As  soon  as  I  noticed  this,  I  knew  that  I  had  an  excellent 
chance  to  make  a  good  blast,  and  I  therefore  pushed  in  the 
powder  in  sight,  and  was  able,  by  shoving  it  downwards, 
to  add  at  least  two  pounds  more.  I  then  carefully  inserted 
a  strand  of  manilla  previously  soaked  in  wet  powder, 
and  dried,  into  the  mouth  of  this  crevice,  and  well  down 
into  the  powder ;  I  then  stuffed  the  whole  with  small  peb 
bles  and  moist  earth,  and  finally  placed  quite  a  large  rock 
against  the  vent,  and,  with  a  prayer  for  success  I  lighted 
the  fuse  and  retired  to  a  safe  distance  to  watch  the  effect. 
As  before,  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  never  ignite,  and  I 
waited  and  waited,  taking  care  to  be  well  distant  and 
well  sheltered  behind  a  large  boulder,  till  finally,  with 
a  dull,  low,  smothered  noise,  the  charge  exploded.  I 
was  disappointed,  and  was  afraid  that  my  powder  was 
too  weak  or  ill-made,  but  when  I  arrived  at  the  spot  I 
was  amazed  at  the  execution  that  had  taken  place :  the 


THE   EXPLOSION.  147 

whole  roof  had  been  uplifted  and  thrown  open,  and 
the  boulders  that  had  resisted  my  further  entrance  cast 
to  one  side,  and  the  whole  side  of  the  mountain  pierced 
and  opened  in  a  wonderful  manner.  I  dashed  into  the 
opening  that  had  been  made,  and  the  first  fragment 
that  my  hand  closed  upon  was  pure  iron  ore.  I  was  like 
one  mad  with  joy.  I  acted  as  insanely  as  I  had  once  or 
twice  before  since  landing  upon  the  island,  and  danced 
and  sang,  and  ended  by  sitting  down  and  bursting  into 
tears.  Upon  further  examination  I  was  inclined  to  believe 
that  the  whole  mountain  was  composed  of  iron,  and  that 
I  only  needed  to  pierce  the  crust  in  any  direction  to  get 
tlie  precious  metal.  My  discovery  lay  just  about  one  mile 
from  my  home,  and  quite  accessible. 

I  found  that  the  blast  had  brought  to  view  quite  a  large 
surface,  on  one  side,  of  my  saltpetre,  whilst  further  to  the 
southward  appeared  the  iron  ore  in  masses  that  I  could  pry 
out  with  my  pickaxe.  After  having  feasted  my  eyes  long 
enough  upon  my  treasure,  I  started  down  the  mountain, 
smoothing  the  pathway  wherever  it  was  rough,  and  open 
ing  up  a  way  for  my  team  and  sled  to  bring  down  the  ore 
to  the  hermitage. 

I  absolutely  saw  no  end  to  the  improvements  that  I  could 
make  now  that  I  had  iron  to  work  with.  I  could  do  any 
thing  within  reason,  and  make  anything  I  chose  to  make. 
A  thousand  and  one  schemes  of  escape  by  its  means  rose 
up  before  me.  If  at  this  moment  I  could  have  had  the 
companionship  of  my  fellow-kind,  T  should,  I  think,  have 


L  18  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

been  unable  to  ask  any  blessing  to  be  added  to  my  lot. 
Here  was  I  in  evidently  one  of  the  finest  climates  of  the 
earth,  with  everything  about  me  even  now  to  sustain  life, 
and  with  many  of  its  luxuries,  and  with  the  foundation 
laid  for  many  more. 

Upon  a  close  examination  of  the  specimen  that  I  had 
brought  away  with  me  in  my  bag,  home  to  the  Hermitage, 
and  by  consultation  with  my  book,  I  felt  convinced  that  I 
had  discovered  what  is  called  magnetic  iron ;  that  is,  iron 
ore  that  is  most  universally  dispersed  over  the  earth.  The 
action  of  the  compass  added  to  this  belief,  and  the  lime 
stone  formation  was  exactly  fitted  to  this  kind  of  ore, 
which  is  the  same  as  is  generally  called  the  Swedish  iron 
ore,  one  of  the  best-known  irons  in  the  world.  The  color 
was  a  sort  of  black  iron  shade,  and  the  ore  brittle  and 
attracted  by  the  magnet  of  my  compass ;  whereas,  if  my 
iron  ore  had  been  hematite  it  would  have  been  of  a  dull 
steel  color,  and  probably  without  magnetic  properties. 

How  I  revelled  in  what  I  was  going  to  do.  First,  I  was 
to  build  my  kiln  and  put  the  ore  through  that  to  purify  it 
of  sulphur,  arsenic,  water,  &c.,  then  to  a  blast  furnace,  to 
be  heated  with  a  flux  of  limestone  and  coal,  and  in  the 
melted  form  run  into  pigs  in  the  sand  of  the  smelting- 
room.  Once  in  this  melted  form  I  could  make,  from 
moulds,  chisels,  axes,  hatchets,  plane-irons,  and  saws,  by  a 
treatment  of  the  melted  iron  ore.  By  means  of  blasts  of 
cold  air  I  could  change  the  whole  mass  into  Bessemer 
steel.  With  the  tools  I  have  named,  in  my  hand,  I  could 


DAY-DREAMS,  149 

go  to  work  at  once  to  erect  a  sawmill  on  Rapid  River, 
near  the  Hermitage,  and  with  the  greatest  ease  saw  out  all 
the  plank  I  should  want  for  any  purpose  under  the  sun. 
Then  my  thoughts  strayed  away  to  nautical  instruments, 
some  kind  of  a  quadrant,  then  the  latitude  and  longitude 
of  my  island,  and  then  a  chart  on  Mercator's  projection 
from  my  Epitome ;  and  then  turning-lathes,  iron  boats, 
electric  wire,  gunmaking,  steam  engine  and  propeller  boat, 
torpedoes  for  defence,  and  all  the  means  to  escape  from 
this  miserable  solitude.  All  these  things,  I  say,  ran  through 
my  head  like  wildfire.  Nothing  was  now  impossible.  I 
had  got  my  genie,  and  I  was  determined  to  make  him 
work.  The  weather  was  getting  cooler  and  cooler,  and 
one  or  two  storms  had  already  warned  me  of  the  approach 
of  winter.  The  leaves  began  to  fall,  and  the  whole  island 
commenced  to  look  dreary  and  forsaken ;  the  grass,  how 
ever,  retained  its  freshness  in  a  remarkable  degree. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  May  that  I  discovered  my 
iron  ore,  and  I  knew  that  this  was  the  same  month  com 
paratively  as  November  would  be  in  the  northern  hemi 
sphere  ;  and  although  there  had  as  yet  been  no  actual  frost, 
much  less  any  ice  or  snow,  yet  I  saw  signs,  not  to  be  dis 
regarded,  that  the  weather  would  be  more  severe  and 
colder  before  the  spring  days  would  come,  and  yet  evi 
dently  I  had  not  much  to  fear  from  a  very  great  degree 
of  cold,  as  my  theory  concerning  the  climate  had  so 
far  been  singularly  correct.  I  commenced,  therefore, 
at  once,  without  loss  of  time,  to  collect  my  ore  by  means 


150  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

of  my  team  of  goats,  and  transport  it  from  the  mountain 
to  Rapid  River.  I  did  not  bring  it  over  as  I  had  the  coal, 
for  I  determined  to  erect  my  blast  furnace  and  kiln  on 
the  further  side,  and  opposite  to  my  home,  as  being  more 
convenient  in  many  respects. 

I  worked  hard  myself,  and  worked  my  team  hard,  in 
bringing  to  Rapid  River  both  the  iron  ore  and  coal,  and 
also  quite  a  large  quantity  of  the  potassium,  which  I  care 
fully  took  into  the  hermitage  till  I  should  need  it  to  make 
more  powder.  It  did  not  take  very  many  trips,  however, 
after  all,  to  get  the  iron  ore  that  I  should  use  during  the 
winter,  at  least,  but  the  coal  to  smelt  it  took  me  longer. 
After  I  had  gathered  all  of  each  that  I  thought  I  should 
need  I  gave  my  goats  a  rest,  and  set  to  work  to  make  ar 
rangements  for  my  smelting-furnace,  kiln,  and  smelting- 
room,  and  how  I  proceeded  I  will  now  go  on  to  relate. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Make  a  mould  for  bricks.  Build  a  brick-kiln  and  make  bricks.  Build  a 
smelting-house,  blast-furnace,  kiln  for  cleansing  ore.  Meditations.  Build 
water-wheel  and  fan- wheel,  and  set  my  machinery  for  an  air-blast  to  reduce 
the  ore. 

IN  the  first  place  I  went  to  work,  and  with  my  knife 
and  hatchet  fashioned  out  two  quite  smooth  pieces  of 
wood  about  four  feet  long,  three  inches  wide,  and  per 
haps  one  inch  thick.  I  smoothed  these  on  one  side  with 
a  great  deal  of  care,  and  finished  them  off  by  means  of 
dry  shark's  skin,  which  stood  me  admirably  in  place  of 
sandpaper.  I  placed  these  two  slips  of  wood  parallel  to 
each  other,  about  four  inches  apart,  and  fastened  them 
in  that  position  by  means  of  blocks  of  wood  of  the  same 
size  and  thickness,  placed  between  them  at  equal  distances 
of  about  six  inches,  which  subdivided  the  whole  into  eight 
equal  compartments,  fastening  the  cross-pieces  in  by  means 
of  hardwood  pegs  driven  into  holes  in  the  side,  made  by  a 
red-hot  nail.  When  my  labor  was  finished  my  affair  looked 
like  a  set  of  pigeon  holes,  such  as  are  used  in  an  office, 
except  they  were  open  on  both  sides  and  had  no  back,  and 
each  compartment  was  four  inches  wide,  three  inches  deep, 
and  six  inches  long.  This  was  an  insignificant  looking 
thing  in  itself,  and,  except  the  smoothing  of  the  inside  in 

151 


152  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

all  parts,  was  not  a  labor  of  any  great  magnitude,  and  yet 
by  means  of  this  instrument  I  intended  to  make  a  great 
stride  forward  in  civilization.  The  thing  that  I  had  made 
was  a  press  or  mould  for  bricks.  I  do  not  know  the  tech 
nical  name,  but  I  knew  that  if  I  placed  this  instrument 
upon  the  level  hewn  side  of  any  fallen  tree  for  a  table, 
and  filled  each  compartment  with  clay  properly  moistened, 
I  should  at  each  filling  and  emptying  turn  out  eight 
equal-sized,  unburned  bricks,  all  ready  for  the  kiln. 

To  enable  me  to  prosecute  this  work  I  moved  for  a  few 
days  to  the  landing-place,  Avhere  clay  in  abundance  was  to 
be  found,  and  where  my  old  hut  would  give  me  shelter. 
When  I  say  I  moved  there  for  a  few  days  I  should  say 
that  I  came  home  to  the  Hermitage  every  second  day  to 
care  for  my  flock  of  goats  and  look  after  my  household 
cares.  Upon  my  arrival  at  the  clay  pits  I  soon  set  to 
work,  and  my  clay  was  so  pure  that  I  had  little  trouble  in 
moulding  it ;  and,  after  having  fixed  a  smooth  plane  upon 
a  fallen  tree  as  a  table  for  the  bottom  of  my  mould,  by 
levelling  the  same  with  my  hatchet,  smoothing  with  my 
knife,  and  finishing  with  my  shark-skin  sandpaper,  I  set 
to  work  moulding,  getting  my  water  at  a  short  distance 
inland  from  a  boggy  piece  of  ground  abounding  in  springs, 
which  existed  right  under  my  nose,  a  little  to  the  left, 
when  I  was  so  anxiously  distilling  water  upon  my  first 
arrival  at  this  very  spot.  I  transported  this  water,  by 
means  of  gourds  and  my  canister,  easily,  to  the  clay  pits, 
and  soon  had  a  fine  array  of  bricks,  the  moulding  being 


I    TURN    RIUCKMAICER.  153 

simple,  and   I  found   I   could  work  quite  fast;    and  by 
means  of  my  knife  and  a  sharp  clam-shell  or  two,  and  with 
a  large  mussel-shell  for  a  shovel,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  fill 
ing  the  mould  quickly  and  trimming  off  all  superfluous 
clay  very  rapidly.     As  fast  as  I  finished  one  set  I  dashed 
the  mould  over  with  fresh  water,  so  that  the  next  lot 
moulded  would  slip  out  easily  after  being  carefully  pressed 
in.     As  fast  as  I  made  the  bricks  I  allowed  them  to  lie  for 
a  day  or  two  in  the  air  till  they  hardened,  and  then  com 
menced  to  pile  them  up  in  shape  to  be  burned  and  per 
fected  into  bricks.     As  a  boy  I  had  often  examined  brick 
kilns,  and  I  knew  that  I  must  make,  or  rather  leave,  a  sort 
of  oven  under  them,  and,  throughout  the  whole  pile,  aper 
tures  through  which  the  flames  and  heat  would  penetrate 
so  as  to  bake  the  whole  mass.     I  built  my  kiln  with  care 
and  on  the  above  principles,  and  in  less  than  a  week  had 
a  goodly  array  of  bricks  all  built  up  in  complete  form.     I 
then  with  my  goat  team  drew  to  the  kiln  all  the  old  dead 
wood  I  could  manage,  and  with  my  hatchet  cut  it  into 
suitable  lengths  to  be  thrust  into  my  ovens,  for  I  had  three 
of  them  in  the  whole  pile,  and  with  great  glee  set  fire  to 
them  all  one  evening,  and  saw  that  they  had  a  good  draft 
and  burned  fiercely.     I  worked  like  ten  men  to  keep  these 
fires  perpetually  going,  and,  prepared  as  I  had  been  in  the 
commencement  by  laying  in  a  large  supply,  I,  with  the  aid 
of  the  team  of  goats,  was  able  to  keep  up  with  them  and 
feed  them  regularly.     I  do  not  remember  now  how  many 
days  I  burned  these  bricks,  but  it  was  very  easy  to  exam- 


154  PEKSEVEHANCE    ISLAND. 

ine  them  and  see  when  they  were  sufficiently  hardened 
and  burned;  and  when  they  suited  my  eye,  and  I  ex 
perimented  upon  several  by  breaking  them  open,  I  let 
the  fires  gradually  go  down,  and  found  myself  in  posses 
sion  of  a  nice  stack  of  bricks,  fit  for  any  purpose.  These, 
as  they  cooled,  I  transported  in  the  canoe  to  the  landing 
opposite  to  the  Hermitage,  where  I  had  determined  to 
arrange  all  my  appurtenances  for  smelting  the  iron  ore. 
In  the  first  place  I  commenced  a  house  or  workshop, 
about  twenty  feet  long  and  twenty  wide,  by  building  up 
walls  of  stone,  as  I  had  done  for  my  Hermitage,  but  in 
a  much  rougher  and  coarser  manner,  without  foundations, 
and  very  much  lower,  not  over  six  feet  in  height.  Over 
this  I  erected  the  usual  bamboo  roof  and  rushes  for  thatch, 
with  one  opening  for  a  window,  and  one  for  an  entrance, 
in  opposite  sides.  The  floor  of  this  room  I  covered  with 
pure  white  sea-sand  for  one  half,  and  the  other  half 
with  soft,  pulverized,  dry,  clayey  loam  that  would  do 
me  for  castings.  In  one  end  of  this  smelting-house,  as 
I  called  it,  with  the  feeding-place  outside,  I  built,  in  an 
aperture  in  the  wall  left  for  that  purpose,  a  solid  blast 
furnace  of  my  bricks,  which  I  lined  with  my  pottery 
cement,  and  made  in  every  way  complete  to  receive  the 
ore  and  smelt  it.  This  was  to  me,  except  the  manual 
labor,  boy's  play.  The  opening  for  the  fused  iron  was 
within  the  smelting-house,  and  I  could  run  the  ore  on  to 
the  sandy  floor  in  channels  made  for  that  purpose,  and 
thus  procure  my  pig  iron  or  Bessemer  steel  as  the  case 


BLAST-FURNACE   AND   ROASTING-KILN.         155 

might  be.  In  this  blast-furnace  I  left  several  channels  to 
be  connected  in  some  way  with  a  blast  of  cold  air,  for  with 
out  this  blast  I  could  not  of  course  expect  to  smelt  the 
ore.  To  improve  the  draught,  and  to  have  Nature  help  me 
all  possible,  I  built  the  chimney  or  cone  of  the  blast 
furnace  at  least  twenty  feet  high,  of  bricks,  tapering  the 
same  in  a  cone  form  from  the  base  to  the  apex.  I  worked 
upon  this  matter  like  a  beaver,  and  felt  well  satisfied  with 
my  work  when  it  was  done.  My  smelting-house  stood 
quite  near  to  Rapid  River  Falls  on  the  further  side,  for 
I  had  foreseen  that  I  should  have  to  use  some  power  to 
get  up  speed  to  move  some  kind  of  a  fan  wheel,  and  I 
knew  that  I  could  only  do  it  by  means  of  water,  and  had 
therefore,  for  that  very  reason,  placed  the  house  near  to 
the  bank  and  had  built  the  blast-furnace  on  the  end  of 
the  house  nearest  the  river. 

After  finishing  my  blast-furnace  completely  I  left  it  to 
dry  and  harden,  and  set  to  work  at  my  roasting-kiln,  on 
which  my  ore  was  to  be  first  purified  and  cleansed.  This 
was  comparatively  an  easy  affair,  and  was  made  wholly 
of  bricks,  underneath  which  large  fires  could  be  built,  and 
through  the  numerous  interstices  the  flame  would  reach 
the  ore  placed  upon  the  bed  above;  the  flame,  after  pass 
ing  through  and  over  the  ore,  to  be  carried  out  at  the 
other  end  of  the  bed  by  means  of  a  brick  chimney  about 
twelve  feet  in  height,  high  enough  to  give  a  good  draught. 

As  soon  as  I  had  my  kiln  done  I  commenced  drying 
it  by  lighting  a  fire  under  it,  and  found  that  it  had  a  good 


156  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

draught  and  would  answer  my  purpose  admirably.  I  then 
went  to  work  again  with  my  team  of  goats,  and  dragged 
near  to  the  smelt  ing-house  all  the  dead  wood  —  and  there 
were  large  quantities  of  it  —  that  I  could  lay  hands  upon, 
that  was  anyway  near  or  convenient.  Being  now  in  the 
month  of  June,  I  found  the  mornings  often  .quite  snap 
pishly  cold,  and  was  glad  of  a  little  fire  often  in  my  home. 
But  I  worked  so  hard  in  these  days  that  I  scarcely  had 
time,  after  finishing  my  supper,  to  smoke  a  pipe  of  tobacco 
before  I  was  ready  to  throw  myself  upon  my  seal-skin  bed 
and  fall  asleep.  In  these  times  I  worked  so  hard  and 
persistently  that  I  often  cooked  enough  corned  meat 
to  last  me  a  week  at  a  time,  and  could  always  draw 
upon  my  stores  of  salted  fish  and  smoked  salmon,  and  goats' 
hams,  vegetables,  etc.,  whenever  I  needed  them.  Of 
course  many  days  I  was  unable  to  work  in  the  open  air 
on  account  of  rain  and  storms.  Those  were  the  times 
that  I  took  to  improve  my  clothing,  patch  up  my  moc 
casins,  and  make  up  warm  skins  for  the  cold  weather; 
look  after  my  little  flock  of  goats,  which  often  strayed 
away  short  distances,  but  by  being  careful  to  feed  them 
each  night  regularly  on  a  little  delicacy  of  some  kind, 
mostly  sweet  potatoes,  they  always  came  back  to  the 
shelter  of  a  nice  warm  shed  that  I  had  constructed  for 
them  near  my  home,  made  on  exactly  the  same  principle 
as  my  hut  at  the  landing-place. 

It  would  take  too  long  to  enumerate  the  various  little 
articles  that  I  had  gathered  around  about  me,  and  how 


BRIGHTER   PROSPECTS.  157 

perfectly  my  mind  was  at  rest  on  the  following  subjects : 
First,  that  I  could  not  suffer  for  want  of  food,  for  I  had 
enough  and  to  spare  of  everything ;  amongst  many  others 
the  following  principal  ones,  —  dried  goats'  flesh,  jerked 
goats'  flesh,  smoked  goats'  flesh,  smoked  goats'  hams, 
wild  pigeons,  eggs,  fresh  fish  for  the  catching,  smoked 
and  salted  herring  and  salmon,  sweet  potatoes,  cab 
bages,  turnips,  beets,  etc.,  vinegar,  wine,  salt,  milk,  etc. 
Second,  that  I  had  a  large  quantity  of  nice  skins,  both 
cured  and  uncured,  of  seals  and  goats,  to  last  me  a  life 
time;  with  fuel,  light,  and  covering  against  all  contin 
gencies,  and  tobacco  for  my  solace.  Third,  that  I  felt 
confident  and  perfectly  satisfied  that  the  island  was  un 
inhabited  and  unknown,  and  I  went  to  sleep  each  night 
without  fear  of  being  interrupted  on  the  next  day.  My 
nerves  had  wholly  regained  their  tone,  and  I  was  grown 
strong,  rugged,  and  hearty,  whilst  my  experiments  with 
my  iron  ore  and  my  hard  work  upon  the  smelting-house 
gave  me  the  necessary  incentives  to  keep  me  from  thinking 
of  my  own  sad  fate.  I  saw  such  a  future  before  me,  could 
I  have  iron  in  all  its  forms  ready  to  my  hand,  that  I  was 
kept  in  a  state  of  excitement  just  right  for  my  tempera 
ment,  and  was  restrained  thereby  from  gnawing  at  my 
own  heart  with  bitter  regrets  which  would  avail  me 
nothing.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  I  did  not  have 
bitter  and  dreadful  moments  of  despair  and  utter  hope 
lessness,  but  these  occurred  usually  in  the  evening  when 
I  felt  my  loneliness  the  greater  than  when  I  was  at  work 


158  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

in  the  open  air.  But  I  began  to  dispel  this  even  by  giving 
another  current  to  my  thoughts,  making  my  pet  goats  go 
through  their  little  series  of  tricks  to  amuse  me  and  draw 
me  away  from  myself.  A  good  smoke  at  my  pipe,  and 
a  glass  of  quite  fair  claret  wine  used  often  at  these  times 
to  freshen  me  up  and  dispel  my  mournful  thoughts. 
When  these  would  not  work  I  used  to  seek  oblivion  from 
my  thoughts  by  plunging  into  my  "  Epitome  "  and  study 
ing  out  some  problem  that  would  aid  me  in,  at  some  future 
day,  fixing  the  latitude  of  my  island,  or  else  amused 
myself  by  reading  something  from  my  book  of  useful 
arts  and  sciences  that  might  be  of  service  to  me  some 
time. 

Up  to  this  season  of  the  year  no  snow  had  as  yet  fallen, 
but  ice  had  skimmed  the  little  fresh-water  pools  outside 
of  the  main  river,  and  some  few  nights  had  been  cold 
outside ;  but,  thanks  to  God  who  had  been  so  merciful 
to  me,  I  was  warmly  clothed  and  housed,  and  had  nothing 
to  fear  from  wind  or  weather. 

During  some  of  the  stormy  days  I  puzzled  over  the 
problem  of  how  I  was  to  get  blasts  of  air  forced  into  my 
furnace.  And  this  is  how  I  did  it  eventually.  I  cleared 
away  a  small  portion  of  the  fall  of  Rapid  River,  so  that 
the  water  rushed  with  great  force  through  a  sort  of  flume 
of  about  four  feet  in  width  and  three  feet  deep.  I  secured 
and  regulated  this  floor  by  means  of  a  series  of  gates  and 
pieces  of  wood  that  I  drove  into  the  soil  on  either  side. 
I  procured  them  by  cutting  a  tree,  about  twelve  inches 


FLUME   AND   WATER-WHEEL.  159 

in  diameter,  into  sections  of  about  five  feet  in  length 
with  ray  hatchet,  by  infinite  labor,  and  splitting  them 
with  hard-wood  wedges  into  long  rough  clapboarding 
or  scantling  about  an  inch  thick  and  I  had  no  time 
to  smooth  them,  but  had  to  use  them  as  they  came 
to  hand,  rough  from  being  split  with  the  wedges ;  but  as 
the  wood  was  straight-grained  I  got  quite  a  quantity  of 
very  fair  pieces  of  board  that  suited  my  purpose,  although 
not  smoothed.  I  drove  these,  as  I  have  said,  into  each 
side  of  the  flume  in  the  dam  to  protect  the  sides  from 
being  washed  away,  and  arranged  a  sort  of  gate  so  as  to 
keep  all  water  from  passing  through  when  I  so  desired. 
It  was  a  bungling  sort  of  a  job,  and  not  very  strong,  but 
answered  my  present  purposes  quite  well.  I  then  went 
to  work  upon  my  water-wheel,  which  I  intended  to  hang 
in  this  flume,  and,  by  opening  the  gate  above,  allow  the 
water  to  flow  down  upon  it  with  great  force  and  turn  it, 
so  as  to  obtain  motion,  and  power  to  which  to  connect 
pulleys  and  wheels  on  the  land  side  upon  the  axle  of  the 
wheel.  I  studied  long  over  the  formation  of  this  wheel, 
and  finally  constructed  it  by  taking  for  the  axle  a  smooth, 
strong  limb  of  a  hard-wood  tree,  about  four  inches  in 
diameter,  and  apparently  perfectly  circular  in  form.  From 
this  I  stripped  the  bark,  polished  it  with  shark's  skin,  and 
cut  it  off  so  as  to  leave  it  about  seven  feet  in  length.  I 
then,  by  means  of  rawhide  and  willow  withes,  fastened,  at 
right  angles  to  this  axle,  light  but  strong  arms  made  of 
cane,  extending  about  three  feet  in  each  direction  from  the 


160  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 


in  axle.  These  I  again  strengthened  by  means  of  cross- 
pieces  parallel  to  the  main  axle,  which  I  bound  across  the 
arms,  and  over  these  again  lighter  canes  yet,  crossing 
the  whole  fabric  from  the  extremity  of  one  arm  to  the 
base  of  another,  till  I  had  a  framework  of  a  wheel,  light 
and  fragile  to  be  sure,  but  very  tough  and  well  bound 
together,  and  each  withe  and  rawhide  string  set  well  taut 
and  securely  fastened  in  real  sailor  style,  —  and  sailors  can 
make  immensely  strong  articles  bound  together  only  with 
string,  the  secret  being  that  they  know  how  to  make  each 
turn  do  its  work,  and  how  to  fasten  the  whole  securely. 
I  sunk  into  the  ground  on  each  side  of  the  flume  a  strong 
post  of  wood  some  eight  inches  in  diameter,  each  ending 
at  the  top  in  two  natural  branches,  or  a  crotch,  like  the 
letter  Y,  which  I  smoothed  out  by  means  of  my  knife  and 
fire  so  as  to  receive  the  axle  of  my  wheel  and  allow  it  to 
revolve  in  them.  These  posts  I  set  in  the  ground  very 
deep  and  very  securely,  and  battered  down  stones  around 
their  foundation,  and  braced  them  also  with  other  stakes 
driven  into  the  ground  near-  to  them,  at  an  angle,  and 
lashed  securely  to  them.  Upon  my  framework  of  the 
wheel  I  tied  on,  with  rawhides,  slats  or  "buckets,"  as 
they  are  called,  of  my  split  clapboarding,  to  be  acted  upon 
by  the  water  and  cause  the  wheel  to  revolve.  Outside 
the  axle,  upon  the  shore  side,  I  fitted  a  wheel  of  cane, 
about  three  feet  in  diameter,  constructed  in  the  same 
way  as  the  main  wheel,  but  not  more  than  six  inches  in 
width.  This  was  to  receive  a  belt  to  communicate  the 


MIDDLE   OF   WINTEK.  161 

power  and  motion  of  the  water-wheel  to  a  series  of  pullies 
that  I  was  yet  to  make.  After  getting  the  wheel  in  place, 
and  the  axle  set  in  the  crotches  of  the  two  uprights,  I 
opened  my  gateway  and  saw  with  pleasure  that  it  revolved 
very  rapidly,  evenly,  and  witli  great  strength.  I  also 
observed  that  the  paddles  were  submerged  just  as  they 
ought  to  be,  only  about  a  foot  in  the  water,  and  that  the 
rest  of  the  wheel  revolved  in  air.  I  also  discovered  that 
I  could  regulate  the  speed  exactly  by  letting  a  larger 
or  smaller  quantity  of  water  into  the  flume  by  means 
of  my  gate.  I  did  not  do  all  this  without  infinite  detail 
and  hard  work,  and  it  was  at  least  a  month  before  my 
Avheel  was  completed  and  hung  in  its  position.  This 
brought  me  into  July,  and  now  I  commenced  to  see  ice 
form  in  the  smooth  pools  near  the  river,  and  once,  upon 
the  fifteenth,  was  visited  with  a  severe  snow  storm,  but 
a  day  or  two  of  pleasant  weather  soon  carried  it  off. 
There  were  days  also  in  this  month  when  storms  arose 
and  lashed  the  ocean  into  monstrous  billows,  and  at  these 
times  I  visited  the  breakwater  and  East  Signal  Point  and 
looked  upon  its  grandeur.  These  were  the  days  in  which 
I  felt  blue  and  dispirited.  But  I  also  knew  that  the 
winter  must  ere  this  have  reached  its  greatest  severi 
ty,  and  although  it  was  now  really  cold  and  everything 
frost-bound,  yet  it  was  not  like  zero  weather  at  home. 
There  were  more  mild  and  pleasant  days  than  cold  and 
unpleasant  ones.  There  was  evidently  a  warm  current 
of  the  ocean  embracing  the  island  and  keeping  the  climate 


162  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

mild.  I  felt  confident  that  cold  weather  would  soon  be 
gone,  and  that  I  had  nothing  to  fear  on  that  account,  for 
I  found  no  difficulty  in  keeping  myself  perfectly  warm 
at  any  time  in  the  open  air  by  a  little  exercise.  As  for 
my  moccasins,  they  were  warmer  than  any  shoes  I  had 
ever  worn,  and  my  skin  clothing  was,  even  in  this  winter 
weather,  uncomfortably  warm,  and  on  mild  days  I  often 
used  to  change  my  sealskin  coat  that  I  had  made  myself 
for  one  of  pliable  goatskin  leather  without  any  hair  upon 
it.  My  water-wheel  I  found  was,  although  wonderfully 
light,  of  excellent  strength,  and  when  I  constructed  it 
I  was  well  aware  of  t*he  tough  properties  of  the  cane  used 
in  its  formation,  which  might  writhe  and  give,  but  would 
not  break.  I  kept  the  axle  down  in  the  crotches  or 
"journals"  formed  for  it,  by  means  of  greased  straps  of 
rawhide,  so  that  it  could  not  jump  upward,  and  yet  would 
revolve  easily  without  being  bound  or  cramped.  My  next 
task  was  to  connect  my  water-wheel  with  a  series  of 
pullies  on  the  shore  and  near  to  the  blast-furnace,  so  as  to 
force  a  column  of  air  into  and  through  the  ore  that  I 
intended  to  smelt,  by  means  of  the  different  channels  that 
I  had  left  for  that  purpose  when  building  it,  all  of  which 
ended  or.  entered  into  one  opening  in  the  side  nearest  the 
water- wheel. 

Near  this  opening  I  built,  at  about  three  feet  distant, 
a  little  room  completely  of  brick,  about  two  feet  wide 
and  six  feet  high,  with  the  narrow  end  pointing  towards 
the  opening  in  the  blast-furnace  that  connected  with  all 


THE  FAN- WHEEL.  163 

the  interior  air-channels  that  I  had  left  when  build 
ing  it.  This  room  I  covered  on  top  with  flat  stones 
•irmly  cemented  down,  and  closed  it  up  air-tight,  ex 
cept  an  opening  left  in  the  brickwork  at  the  top,  six 
inches  in  diameter.  Opposite  the  opening  into  the  blast 
furnace,  which  was  at  the  same  height,  and  on  the  two 
sides  of  the  structure,  equidistant  from  the  ground  and 
the  top,  I  left  two  similar  holes  in  the  brickwork,  and 
opposite  to  them  planted  two  stakes  in  the  form  of  the 
letter  Y.  In  other  words,  I  constructed  this  building 
to  contain  a  wheel  similar  to  my  water- w^heel,  about  six 
feet  in  diameter,  which  was  to  revolve  in  air  instead  of 
water,  and  force  a  column  into  the  blast-furnace.  I  should 
say  that  I  made  such  a  wheel  with  paddles  and  hung  it 
in  its  bearings  before  putting  on  the  top  of  flat  stones 
or  building  up  all  around  it.  When  completed  I  had 
a  wheel  enclosed  in  an  air-tight  place,  the  paddles  of 
which  would,  when  revolving,  push  the  air  into  the 
opening  left  at  the  top  of  the  end  facing  the  blast 
furnace.  Around  about  the  axle  on  each  side  the  open 
ings  were  not  closed,  purposely;  for  it  was  here  that 
the  machine  was  to  suck  in  the  air  which  it  discharged 
into  the  blast-furnace  opening  by  means  of  a  tube  made 
of  goatskin  which  connected  the  two  together.  On  the 
outside  of  the  axle  I  built  a  small  and  very  light  wheel 
of  cane,  only  a  foot  in  diameter,  to  receive  the  pulley  for 
the  wheel  on  the  axle  of  the  water-wheel.  I  had  only 
to  connect  these  two  together  and  my  task  was  done, 


164  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

The  two  pulleys  were  distant  about  fifteen  feet,  and 
I  had  to  make  a  band  of  goatskin,  about  three  inches 
wide,  over  thirty  feet  in  length,  to  connect  the  two. 
This  I  did  by  cutting  strip  after  strip  and  sewing  them 
strongly  together  in  length  till  I  completed  my  band.  I 
had  only  to  place  this  upon  my  pulleys,  open  the  gate,  let 
on  the  water,  and  the  task  would  be  finished.  Having 
arranged  everything  s6  as  to  be  all  ready  the  next  day,  I  got 
across  the  river  on  my  stepping-stones,  and  went  to  my 
home  to  think  matters  over.  I  knew,  as  a  mechanic,  that  the 
affair  would  work,  and  that  I  had  much  more  power  even 
than  I  had  any  need  of.  But  I  could  not  rest.  I  should 
not  be  content  till  on  the  next  day  I  saw  all  the  wheels, 
already  greased  and  lashed  into  their  sockets  with  raw 
hide,  revolving  by  the  mere  motion  of  my  lifting  the 
gateway  and  letting  on  the  water.  I  smoked  and  thought 
and  paced  my  room  for  hours,  and  finally,  when  I  went 
to  bed  from  sheer  weariness  of  mind  and  body,  I  passed 
a  disturbed  night.  Morning  saw  me  bright  and  early 
upon  my  feet,  and,  snatching  a  hasty  morsel  of  food,  I 
started  for  the  smelting-house,  got  out  my  band  and 
stretched  it  from  pulley  to  pulley,  and  with  trembling 
hands  went  to  the  gateway  at  the  dam  and  let  on  the 
water  to  my  undershot  water-wheel.  It  did  not  hesitate 
a  moment  to  obey  the  force  of  nature  and  the  law  of 
mechanics,  and  the  volume  of  water  had  scarcely  struck 
the  paddles  before  the  whole  apparatus  began  to  work, 
the  axle  to  revolve,  and  the  band  to  move. 


OPENING  THE   WATER   GATE. —PAGE  164. 


THE   MACHINERY   COMPLETE.  165 

I  let  on  a  very  little  head  of  water  first,  and  rushed  to 
my  fan-wheel.  There  it  was,  moving  with  great  rapidity, 
and  the  connecting  goatskin  bag  was  evidently  distended 
with  air.  Thence  I  rushed  to  the  other  side  of  the  blast 
furnace,  where  the  feeding-place  for  fuel  was,  and  by 
casting  in  small,  light  objects  saw  them  sucked  up  the 
chimney  at  onee.  I  was  successful.  I  had  at  least  ten 
times  the  power  that  I  needed  for  my  purpose.  I  rushed 
back  to  the  dam  and  cut  off  the  water,  perfectly  content 
with  the  experiment  without  bringing  any  shock  upon 
my  machinery  by  putting  on  a  full  head  of  water,  which 
I  saw  I  did  not  need,  as  my  fan-wheel,  as  I  supposed,  was 
turned  with  the  utmost  ease,  having  no  resistance  except 
the  air.  I  could  do  nothing  more  this  day  but  admire 
my  handiwork,  and  arrange  little  matters  here  and  there 
to  perfect  the  whole  affair  and  get  ready  for  my  first 
smelting  of  the  ore. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Smelt  my  iron  and  make  Bessemer  steel  and  all  kinds  of  tools.    Erect  an 
anvil  and  forge.    Build  a  saw  mill,  and  plant  a  farm  and  kitchen  garden. 

HAVING  gotten  everything  all  ready  for  my  purpose,  I 
placed,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  about  a  ton  of  the 
broken  ore  in  my  kiln  to  be  roasted  or  calcined,  and  after 
this  was  accomplished,  I  transferred  it  to  my  blast  furnace 
and  added  to  the  calcined  ore  about  a  ton  and  a  half  of 
half-burned  coal,  and  one-third  of  a  ton  of  limestone ;  these 
being  the  proper  proportions,  as  I  was  well  aware.  Under 
this,  and  around  it,  I  placed  a  large  amount  of  coal  fuel, 
and  having  ignited  it  by  means  of  a  large  quantity  of  wood 
placed  under  the  whole  mass,  I  went,  when  it  was  well 
started,  to  my  gateway  on  Rapid  River,  and  set  my 
machinery  agoing,  which  started  the  fan-wheel,  which 
immediately  created  a  terrific  blast,  and  the  whole  furnace 
was  soon  in  a  glow.  I  kept  this  up  by  feeding  new  fuel, 
till  by  certain  signs  I  felt  confident  that  the  mass  of  ore 
was  smelted,  when  I  shut  down  my  gateway  so  as  to  regu 
late  the  blast  to  its  minimum  and  keep  the  fan-wheel  just 
revolving.  I  then  dug  away  the  clay  at  the  orifice  of  the 
blast-furnace  that  opened  into  the  smelting-room,  and  had 
the  supreme  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  molten  ore  flow  out 
like  water  into  the  furrows  of  sand  that  I  had  formed 
166 


MY    FIRST    SMELTING.  107 

and  excavated  to  receive  it.  I  had  made  this  fur 
row  for  a  purpose  also,  and  had  something  in  mind 
when  I  formed  the  sand  mould,  something  like  a  foot 
in  depth  and  eighteen  inches  in  length,  exactly  under 
the  nozzle  of  the  delivery  orifice  of  the  furnace.  The 
molten  ore  ran  into  this  rapidly  and  soon  filled  it, 
forming  a  rough  block  of  iron  a  foot  thick,  a  foot 
wide,  and  eighteen  inches  long.  When  the  fiery  fluid 
had  completely  filled  this,  T  shut  off  the  discharge  by 
thrusting  some  moist  clay  into  the  orifice.  This  block 
that  T  had  just  made  was  to  be  my  anvil,  and  as  it  was 
large  and  would  take  time  to  cool,  I  directed  the  orifice 
of  the  furnace  to  one  side  by  means  of  a  clay  channel,  so 
that  the  next  discharge  should  not  interfere  with  it ;  and 
as  my  desire  was  now  to  get  steel  in  smaller  quantities  so 
that  I  could  use  it,  I  drew  narrow  and  shallow  channels 
through  my  sand  at  quite  long  distances  from  the  blast 
furnace,  but  all  coming  together  in  one  deep  channel 
under  the  orifice,  but  spreading  to  different  parts  of  the 
smelting  house,  as  the  ribs  of  a  fan  do  from  the  point  at 
which  they  are  collected.  Into  these  channels  I  allowed 
the  remainder  of  the  molten  ore  to  flow,  and  it  extended 
itself  through  all  these  minor  channels,  and  when  it  was 
cool  T  had  several  long  bars  of  cast  steel  that,  on  my  anvil, 
I  could  work  up  into  any  form. 

After  a  few  days,  when  my  anvil  was  perfectly  cool,  I 
mounted  it  upon  a  block  of  wood  and  commenced  to  build 
a  forge  near  by  it,  of  brick  and  stone,  into  the  fire-place 


168  PEKSEVEKANCE   ISLAND. 

of  which  I  led  a  branch  flexible  tube  of  goat's  skin 
from  the  fan-wheel,  which  I  could  easily  detach  and  con 
nect,  and  which  gave  me  a  blast  instead  of  the  usual  bel 
lows.  At  this  forge  I  worked  for  a  week  steadily,  turning 
out  the  simplest  and  most  necessary  tools,  such  as  chisels, 
hammers,  hatchets,  axes,  nails,  bolts,  plane  irons,  gouges, 
etc.,  which  I  tempered  and  hardened  when  needful.  I 
also  made  myself  tongs  and  shovels,  pickaxe,  and  crow 
bars,  and  as  fast  as  one  tool  was  made  at  my  forge,  such 
as  a  pair  of  tongs  and  a  hammer,  I  had  means  to  make 
others  better  and  rapidly.  In  this  week  I  saw  treasures 
gather  up  about  me  fast,  and,  having  finished  my  iron 
work,  I  set  to,  to  arrange  them  into  tools.  In  the  first 
place,  by  means  of  cold  chisels,  I  cut  out  from  a  large 
mass  of  soft  stone,  that  seemed  as  if  it  would  suit  my  pur 
pose,  a  grindstone  some  two  feet  in  diameter ;  this  I  set 
up  on  t>vo  standards  and  connected  writh  my  water  wheels. 
By  means  of  this  I  could  sharpen  and  bring  into  shape  all 
the  rough  pieces  of  iron  tools  that  I  had  forged  out,  and  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  sharpening  all  my  axes,  planes,  hatch 
ets,  chisels,  etc.,  and,  when  necessary,  giving  them  a  finer 
edge  on  a  whetstone,  which  I  had  found  to  suit  my  pur 
pose.  After  getting  these  all  in  shape,  my  next  task  was 
to  affix  handles  to  them.  This  was  not  difficult  to  do,  and 
it  is  hardly  credible  how  soon  I  had  my  shop  hung 
round  about  with  useful  tools.  I  soon  had  my  planes  in 
order,  and  my  work  then  commenced  to  have  a  finish  that 
it  had  before  lacked.  I  did  not  stop  here,  however,  for  I 


MAKING   TOOLS.  169 

was  now  in  my  element.  I  was  ambitious  of  producing 
much  better  tools  than  I  had  yet  finished  by  the  very  means 
that  I  already  had,  made  to  my  hands,  for  creating  them. 
I  hope  it  is  understood  that  the  result  of  my  smelting  was 
not  common  iron,  but  what  is  known  as  Bessemer  steel. 
By  the  numerous  air  passages  through  the  ore  and  my  fan- 
wheel,  I  had  been  enabled  to  turn  out  the  result  in  steel 
in  bulk  by  what  is  called  the  Bessemer  process,  leaving  the 
metal  all  ready  to  my  hand  for  tools,  etc.  This  steel  was 
not  hard  enough  for  some  purposes  for  which  I  needed  it, 
and  having  forged  some  pieces  into  the  proper  shape,  I 
treated  them  to  the  crucible  and  blast,  having  beforehand 
stamped  them  writh  a  cold  chisel,  and  finally  turned  out 
some  splendid  files,  which  was  what  I  most  needed  to 
advance  in  my  iron  work.  As  a  boy,  I  used  to  be  expert 
in  this  case-hardening  of  files  and  steel,  and  my  knowledge 
now  stood  me  in  excellent  need. 

As  soon  as  I  got  my  files  made,  I  felt  as  if  I  could  make 
anything,  and  my  next  smelting  procured  for  me  —  for  it 
only  took  about  twelve  or  fourteen  hours  to  smelt  —  some 
thin  sheets  of  steel,  which  I  set  to  work  upon  to  smooth 
by  means  of  my  grindstone,  so  as  to  make  hand-saws;  and, 
of  a  larger  and  thicker  piece,  two  fine  up-and-down  saw 
mill  saws,  destined  for  my  sawmill  yet  to  be  built.  All  of 
these  I  sharpened  and  hardened  to  the  necessary  temper, 
and  by  this  time  I  discovered  that  my  iron  was  of  an  ex 
cellent  quality  and  as  tough  as  possible.  I  had  never  seen 
finer,  even  in  imported  Swedish  iron  so  much  sought  for 


170  PEKSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

at  home.  I  think  that  the  pleasantest  noises  1  had  yet 
heard  since  arriving  on  the  island  was  my  axe  cutting  into 
the  side  of  a  tree ;  my  saw  splitting  the  same  into  small 
boards  when  needed;  and  my  planes  smoothing  these 
easily  to  a  fine  level  surface.  I  did  not  attempt  to  saw 
out  one  board  more  than  I  needed,  for  I  intended  that  my 
sawmill  should  do  all  that  for  me,  and  the  planing  too 
without  much  trouble  on  my  part.  So  I  set  to  work  at 
this  matter  in  earnest  and  cast  me  an  axle  for  my  water 
wheel,  which  I  concluded  to  erect  on  my  own  side  of  the 
river.  This  wheel  that  I  made  was  not  much  like  the 
other,  but  was  of  wood  and  iron,  strong  and  well  built, 
and  fastened  with  iron  bolts,  and  set  in  iron  sockets. 

I  dug  away  quite  a  space  of  the  natural  fall  of  Rapid 
River,  and  erected  a  strong  flume  and  gateway,  so  as  to 
control  my  wheel  perfectly.  I  took  little  pains  with  the 
covering  of  my  mill,  making  it  hastily  and  with  little  care  ; 
but  the  foundations  I  laid  out  well  and  strong,  and  built 
it  parallel  with  the  side  of  the  river,  and  had  running 
down  into  the  latter,  from  the  mill,  smooth  timbers  at  an 
angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees,  on  which  I  intended,  by 
means  of  my  goats  or  the  machinery  of  the  mill  itself,  to 
"parbuckle"  the  logs  up  into  the  mill  in  front  of  the  saw. 
For  a  mechanic  the  arranging  of  my  mill  was  an  easy 
task,  not  easy  in  its  details,  being  laborious  and  hard,  but 
easy  I  mean  in  its  mechanical  construction,  which  did  not 
give  me  a  moment's  thought.  About  six  weeks  saw  it  all 
finished  and  everything  in  place ;  revolving  knives  for  my 


ENTER   THE  LUMBER   BUSINESS.  171 

planing-machine  and  a  splendid  up-and-down  saw  for  rny 
log-splitting.  Of  course  all  my  machinery  was  of  a  differ 
ent  style,  now  that  I  had  means  to  work  with,  than  the 
rude  wheels  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  had  before 
me  a  good,  substantial  sawmill  —  rather  rough,  to  be  sure, 
in  some  details,  but  I  did  not  care  for  that.  Nobody,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  would  ever  look  upon  it  and  find  fault 
with  its  want  of  finish. 

Having  this  all  done,  I  launched  the  "  Fairy  "  above  the 
falls  and  paddled  up  the  river  for  about  half  a  mile,  mark 
ing  on  either  bank  with  my  axe  the  trees  I  wished  to  cut 
down  —  some  of  pine  and  cedar,  and  others  of  a  hard,  dark 
wood,  like  walnut,  that  I  knew  not  the  name  of.  A  week's 
hard  work  with  the  axe  saw  some  twenty  of  these  in  the 
water  and  floated  to  the  dam,  whence  I  rolled  them  out  of 
the  water  as  I  needed  them,  and  cut  them  into  the  requi 
site  lengths  for  my  sawmill,  when  I  pushed  them  by  hand 
spikes  again  into  the  stream,  and  floated  them  in  front  of 
my  inclined  planes,  up  which  they  soon  mounted  by  roll 
ing  themselves  over  and  over  in  the  two  bights  of  a  rope 
at  each  end,  being  slowly  wound  by  the  machinery  of  the 
mill  on  a  drum  inside,  or,  in  other  words,  as  sailors  would 
say,  "  parbuckled  "  into  the  mill,  where  a  few  movements 
of  the  handspike  put  them  in  position  on  the  cradle  in  front 
of  the  saw.  Let  it  suffice  for  me  to  say  that  in  a  week  or 
two  I  had  all  the  planed  boards  that  I  should  need  for 
years,  and  also  plank  and  joist  nicely  piled  outside  the 
mill,  and  covered  with  a  light  roof  of  rushes  and  cane 


172  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

from  the  rain  and  sun.  It  was  a  great  thing  for  one  man 
to  be  able  to  do  so  much,  but  then  I  had  now  got  a  start 
where  nothing  could  stop  me.  Nature  was  under  my 
thumb  ;  I  was  the  master. 

All  these  works  in  iron,  steel,  and  mill-building  brought 
me  to  spring-like  weather,  in  the  month  of  October,  and  I 
began  to  see  signs  of  returning  summer.  I  hastened, 
therefore,  to  drop  all  these  matters,  and  put  myself  and 
goats  seriously  to  work  to  provide  for  my  coming  wants 
in  the  vegetable  line,  and  for  this  purpose  went  to  the 
landing-place  and. cleared  a  space  of  I  should  think  an 
acre  with  a  light  subsoil  plough  and  two  yokes  of  goats, 
and  planted  the  whole  with  different  kinds  of  the  seeds 
that  I  still  had  on  hand,  and  which  I  had  preserved. 
About  this  open  space,  or  natural  glade,  were  the  usual 
trees  and  shrubs  of  the  island,  and  with  my  axe  I  made 
them  serve  at  distances  for  posts,  filling  in  the  inter 
vals  with  limbs  and  shrubs,  and,  where  absolutely  neces 
sary,  using  some  of  my  precious  boards,  till  I  had  made 
a  very  coarse,  rough,  but  serviceable  fence  about  my 
garden  that  goats  or  other  animals  could  not  get  through 
and  destroy  the  young  vegetation  when  it  should  sprout 
up.  It  was  here  that  I  sowed  some  of  my  precious  wheat, 
retaining  a  little  in  case  of  accident.  In  this  garden  I 
planted  seeds  that  would  mature  late  in  the  season,  and 
would  in  a  measure  take  care  of  themselves.  Near  the 
Hermitage  I  laid  out  a  similar  garden,  with  the  same  kind 
of  fence,  but  not  more  than  one  hundred  feet  square.  In 


A    RETBOSPECT.  173 

this  I  planted  all  the  little  things  that  I  needed  at  hand  for 
my  table,  such  as  cucumbers,  tomatoes,  beans,  radishes,  cel 
ery,  blackberries,  strawberries,  lettuce. 

T  found  that  my  apple  and  pear  seeds  had  taken  root, 
for  I  visited  them  before  winter  had  set  in,  and  I  took  this 
opportunity,  in  ploughing,  to  manure  with  chopped  fish  the 
circular  places  that  I  had  planted  before  the  winter,  and 
care  to  avoid  turning  up  with  the  ploughshare  any  of  the 
soil  where  these  precious  seeds  were  buried,  and  where  the 
small,  slight  stems,  leafless,  now  protruded.  Spring  came 
rapidly  forward,  and  I  found  myself  in  almost  warm  wea 
ther  and  pleasant  days  before  I  had  finished  all  my  garden 
ing,  which  was  near  the  end  of  September. 

These  tasks  nearly  finished  the  year  for  me,  within  a 
month  and  a  few  days,  and  what  had  I  accomplished  ?  On 
Thursday,  November  9,  1865,  I  was,  by  the  providence  of 
God,  saved  when  all  my  shipmates  were  lost.  I  had  been 
preserved  for  some  good  purpose  evidently,  or  else  the 
hand  of  the  Almighty  would  have  swept  me  out  of  exist 
ence  with  my  messmates. 

On  that  terrible  day  in  November  I  was  cast  on  shore, 
with  scarcely  any  food,  no  hat,  no  coat,  and  without  water. 
With  no  aid  but  that  given  me  by  God,  and  by  the  use  of 
my  own  hands  and  brain,  I  was  to-day  sitting  in  front  of 
my  home,  erected  by  myself  alone.  In  this  short  space 
of  time,  one  year,  I  had  wrested  from  Nature  many  tilings, 
showing  the  supremacy  of  mind  over  matter,  and  knowl 
edge,  over  ignorance  and  sloth.  T  had  in  this  year  made 


174  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

fire  without  the  aid  of  matches,  distilled  salt  water  to  pro 
cure  fresh,  made  myself  implements  of  defence,  and  erected 
towers  of  perpetual  lamps,  made  myself  flint,  steel,  and 
tinder,  bows  and  arrows,  fish-hooks  and  lines ;  discovered 
coal,  sulphur,  saltpetre,  and  iron,  and  captured  goats,  fish, 
seals,  birds,  etc.,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  found  myself 
sitting  at  my  house  door  surrounded  with  my  flock  of 
goats,  my  garden  and  farm  planted,  my  mill  and  smelting- 
house  in  running  order,  my  canoe,  at  my  feet  in  the 
quiet  water  of  the  cove,  and  everything  about  me  that 
could  please  or  charm  the  eye.  From  absolutely  nothing 
I  had  created  everything ;  that  is  to  say,  the  ground  was 
now  so  laid  out  that  in  the  future  I  saw  no  end  to  the 
daring  attempts  that  I  should  make,  and  could  make  with 
every  chance  of  success.  I  felt,  now. that  the  year  was 
ending,  that  my  hardest  work  was  done;  that  I  had 
so  much  now  to  do  with,  that  all  that  I  should  now 
undertake  would  be  comparatively  easy ;  but  then,  on  the 
other  hand,  my  ambition  was  so  great  that  I  could  see 
things  in  the  dim  future  that  would  tax  the  strength  and 
brain  of  any  man  to  consummate,  but  which  from  my  tem 
perament  and  loneliness  I  knew  I  should  be  forced  to  at 
tempt.  Many  problems  were  already  turning  themselves 
over  in  my  head,  and  from  them  I  picked  out  this  one, 
What  is  the  position  of  your  island  in  latitude  and  longi 
tude? 

I  gave  myself  this  as  a  special  task,  and  whilst  I  was  at 
work  at  little  matters  around  about  tho  Hermitage  my 


WHERE   DOES   THE    ISLAND  LIE?  175 

mind  kept  asking  me  (for  it  had  no  one  else  to  talk  to), 
What  is  the  position  of  your  island  in  latitude  and  longi 
tude?  and  it  was  repeated  so  often  and  so  persistently 
that  I  tried  to  answer  it,  which  I  did  in,  the  following 
manner,  as  you  shall  hear. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Make  an  astrolabe,  and  obtain  the  latitude  of  the  island,  and,  by  an 
eclipse  of  the  moon,  the  longitude  also.  By  means  of  the  Epitome  make  a 
chart  on  Mercator's  projection,  and  find  out  the  distance  from  any  known 
laud. 

I  FOUND  in  my  book  a  description  of  an  instrument 
used  by  the  ancients  to  ascertain  altitudes  and  to  measure 
angles,  called  an  Astrolabe,  which,  upon  careful  study 
and  examination  of  the  cut,  I  felt  confident  would  serve 
my  purpose  admirably.  So  to  work  I  went,  and  in  this 
manner.  I  made  first  a  strong  four-legged  stool  or  bench, 
about  three  feet  in  height  and  four  feet  long,  and  two  feet 
wide  upon  the  top.  I  then  took  some  nice  planed  pieces  of 
my  dark  hardwood  and  made  a  smooth  surface  about  an 
inch  thick  and  five  feet  square.  On  this,  afterwards  to  be 
erected  on  the  stool  at  right  angles  like  an  inverted  letter 
T,  I  drew  a  circle  with  a  pair  of  immense  dividers  that  I 
made  for  this  purpose,  taking  in  all  the  area  possible, 
which  made  my  circle  about  fifty-nine  inches  in  diameter, 
leaving  a  margin  of  one  inch,  —  supposing  my  inches  to 
have  been  of  the  right  length ;  and  this  I  determined  by 
the  length  of  the  knuckle  of  my  thumb,  which  I  formerly 
used  for  quick  measurement,  and  from  which  standard  I 
176 


HOW   TO   MAKE   AN    ASTROLABE.  177 

constructed  the  only  rule  I  ever  have  used  on  the  island. 
How  nearly  correct  it  is  I  have  no  means  of  knowing. 
This  groove  I  impressed  into  the  wood  by  repeatedly 
turning  the  dividers  around  the  circumference.  I  then 
went  to  work  and  subdivided  this  circle  into  degrees  and 
minutes,  which  I  did  by  marking  the  circle  once  across  at 
any  angle  passing  through  the  centre  mark,  arid  then  by 
another  mark  crossing  this  one  at  exactly  right  angles, 
which  I  determined  by  means  of  my  dividers  —  as  laid 
down  in  Bowditch's  Epitome  —  by  the  use  of  them  at 
equal  distances  from  the  centre  on  the  line  already 
marked,  sweeping  them  till  the  two  lines  crossed  beyond 
the  circumference,  making  a  small  mark  there  so  as  to 
erect  a  perpendicular  on  the  base  already  drawn.  This 
cut  my  circle  at  once  into  quadrants  of  90°  each,  and 
these  were  subdivided  again  in  like  manner.  I  made  the 
circle  large  on  purpose,  so  as  to  be  able  to  mark  it  plainly 
to  sections  of  one  minute  each,  and  by  its  size  to  avoid 
any  error  in  any  angle,  the  chances  of  which  were  greatly 
decreased  by  every  inch  of  diameter.  As  I  constructed 
it,  I  had  nearly  one-half  an  inch  of  circumference  to  mark 
sixty  minutes  upon,  and  as  I  only  subdivided  one  of  the 
quadrants  it  did  not  take  me  very  long,  each  degree 
being  represented  by  a  space  slightly  smaller  than  a  half 
inch,  which  was  a  good  large  scale  to  work  upon.  Hav 
ing  finished  the  marking  of  my  board  I  nailed  it  firmly  to 
the  stool  in  an  upright  position,  with  the  quadrant,  that  I 
had  carefully  subdivided  on  the  marked  circumference, 


178  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

pointing  with  one  of  its  angles  to  zenith,  and  the  other  on 
a  line  with  the  top  of  the  stool.  I  then  procured  a  nice 
straight  piece  of  cane  some  six  feet  in  length  and  about 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  with  a  heated  rod  of  iron  burned 
out  all  the  pith  between  each  joint  till  I  had  made  a  nice 
tube  of  that  length .  Just  within  the  aperture  at  one  end  I 
fastened  with  a  little  fish  glue  a  large  strong  hair  from  the 
beard  of  one  of  my  goats.  I  then  fastened,  by  means  of  a 
hole  through  the  centre  of  my  upright  disc,  this  tube  or 
telescope  to  it  on  the  side  that  was  subdivided  into 
degrees,  and  about  an  inch  frorn  the  face.  I  fastened 
this  so  that  it  was  held  firmly  in  place,  and  yet  could  be 
moved  upon  its  centre  by  the  pressure  of  my  hand  on 
either  arm.  This  tube  I  then  furnished  with  a  small  deli 
cate  pin  on  the  outside,  in  an  exact  line  with  the  stretched 
hair  inside  the  tube,  and  pointing  to  the  degrees  and 
minutes  on  the  marked  circumference  on  the  disc,  which 
it  almost  touched.  In  other  words,  if  I  moved  one  arm 
of  the  tube,  the  needle  on  the  outside  would  follow  the 
grooved  circumference  on  the  disc,  and  upon  being  re 
leased  would  mark  some  given  degree  or  minute.  Hav 
ing  gotten  this  machine  all  in  order  and  complete,  I 
placed  it  one  day  so  as  to  examine  the  sun  near  noon, 
and  here  is  how  I  obtained  my  latitude.  What  I  was 
doing  now  was  not  so  very  difficult.  I  well  knew  that 
there  were  several  ways  to  determine  latitude.  I  was 
aware  that  the  difference  of  a  minute  or  two  even  in  my 
altitude,  as  apparently  observed,  would  not  disturb  my 


TAKING  A  MERIDIAN  ALTITUDE  OF  THE  SUN.      179 

computation  more  than  a  mile  or  so.  In  fact  each  minute 
marked  upon  the  disc  practically  stood  for  one  mile  of 
latitude,  and  the  mean  of  several  observations  would  cor 
rect  even  any  errors  from  this  cause. 

I  waited  till  I  knew  that  it  was  nearly  noon  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  sun,  and  then  commenced  operations.  In 
the  first  place  I  aimed  my  tube  at  the  sun,  and  to  be  able 
to  do  so  without  injuring  my  eye,  I  would  say  that  I  had 
fitted  the  orifice  of  the  tube  nearest  to  me  with  a  piece  of 
smoke-colored  membrane  or  backbone  of  the  squid,  which 
is  as  transparent  as  glass,  and  very  thin  and  delicate. 
Having,  by  moving  the  tube  with  my  hand,  brought  the 
sun  so  that  it  seemed  to  stand  upon  the  hair  in  the  outer 
end  of  the  tube,  or  like  a  great  capital  O  upon  a  base  line 
Q,  I  left  it  carefully  in  that  position  for  a  moment  or 
two,  and  then  applied  my  eye  again,  and  found,  as  I  sup 
posed,  that  the  sun  no  longer  seemingly  rested  upon  the 
hair  in  my  tube,  but  had  risen,  which  forced  me  to  again 
lower  the  arm  nearest  me  and  elevate  the  other  extremity, 
and  proved  to  me  that  it  was  not  yet  noon,  and  that  the 
sun  had  not  yet  reached  the  meridian.  This  I  did  many 
times,  till  at  last  the  sun  seemed  for  a  minute  or  so  to 
stand  still,  as  sailors  say,  and  I  knew  that  it  was  at  meri 
dian.  I  took  good  care  not  to  touch  the  instrument,  but 
waited  quietly  till,  by  glancing  through  it,  I  saw  in  a  few 
moments  the  disc  of  the  sun,  or  lower  limb  as  it  is  termed, 
begin  to  drop  below  the  hair  in  my  tube,  and  I  was  then 
positive  that  it  had  passed  the  meridian.  Being  assured 


180  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

of  this,  I  went  carefully  to  the  marked  circumference  on 
the  upright  disc  and  noted  carefully  the  degree  and 
minute  to  which  the  needle  in  the  side  of  the  tube 
pointed,  which  in  this  case  was  54°  51'.  Having  care 
fully  marked  this  down  with  ink  upon  birch  bark,  I  went 
again  to  the  other  end  of  the  tube,  and,  elevating  it, 
brought  the  outer  end  down  toward  the  sea  till  the  hair 
and  the  horizon  seemed  to  be  one.  I  then  again  carefully 
observed  the  degree  and  minute  at  which  the  needle 
pointed,  which  in  this  case  was  7°  16',  and  my  task  was 
done ;  for,  by  subtracting  7°  16'  from  54°  51'  I  obtained 
47°  35',  which  was  exactly  the  apparent  altitude  of  tin- 
sun  at  noon  on  September  22,  1866,  civil  account;  and, 
having  that,  it  was  easy  to  determine  the  latitude  in  the 
following  manner :  — 

At  noon  observe  the  altitude  of  the  sun's  lower  limb 

bearing  North 47°  35' 

Add  for  semi-diameter,  dip,  etc 12' 


47°  47' 
Subtract  from  .  90°  00' 


Sun's  zenith  distance 42°  13'  S. 

Declination  for  longitude,  say  115°  W S'  8. 

Latitude  by  observation 42°  21'  8. 

Thus  I  demonstrated  the  latitude  of  my  island;  but 
now  for  the  longitude.  To  obtain  that  I  knew  that  I  must 
first  ascertain  the  time  at  the  island  :  T  could  <lo  nothing 


A   WOODEN   CLOCK.  181 

without  that ;  for  longitude  was,  as  I  well  knew,  simply 
time  changed  into  degrees.  I  thought  of  fifty  different 
ways  to  obtain  correct  time,  but  believed  none  of  them 
sufficiently  accurate  for  my  purpose.  I  could  make  a  sun 
dial  for  one  thing,  find  out  the  length  of  the  day  by  the 
Epitome  and  Nautical  Almanac,  make  candles  to  burn  such 
a  length  of  time,  sand  to  run  down  an  inclined  plane  at 
such  a  rate,  but  none*  of  these  would  do. 

The  difference  of  a  minute,  or  one-sixtieth  of  a  degree, 
in  an  observed  altitude  would  only  affect,  as  I  have  said,  my 
latitude  just  one  mile,  whilst  an  error  of  time  of  one  min 
ute  from  true  time  would,  as  I  was  well  aware,  throw  my 
longitude  out  just  fifteen  miles ;  hence  it  behoved  me  to 
have  exact  time  if  I  desired  to  get  exact  longitude,  and 
therefore  I  saw  nothing  for  it  but  that  I  must  construct  a 
clock,  and  at  it  I  went.  It  was  not  such  an  enormous  un 
dertaking  after  all.  Of  course  I  should  make  it  of  wood, 
and  in  my  boyhood  I  knew  many  wooden  clocks  that  kept 
excellent  time ;  besides,  if  I  could  only  construct  something 
that  would  keep  time  for  an  hour  or  two  without  much 
error,  it  would  answer  my  purpose.  If  I  had  a  clock  that 
I  could  set  at  noon  by  my  observation,  nearly  correct,  I 
could  correct  it  perfectly  by  an  afternoon  observation,  and 
have  for  an  hour  or  so  true  time,  even  if  it  did  gain  or 
lose  a  few  minutes  in  twenty-four  hours.  So  to  work  I 
set,  and  soon  turned  out  the  few  small  wheels  necessary, 
and  the  weight  and  pendulum  for  the  same.  I  spent  little 
time  upon  the  non-essentials,  but  put  it  together  inside  my 


182  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

house  on  the  wall,  open  so  that  I  could  get  at  it,  and  fur 
nished  it  with  wooden  hands  and  a  thin  wooden  face. 

After  I  had  arranged  it  and  found  that  it  would  tick, 
and  by  observations  at  noon  for  a  few  days  been  able  to 
regulate  the  pendulum,  I  went  diving  into  the  Epitome  and 
the  Nautical  Almanac  as  to  how  I  should  utilize  it  so  as 
to  get  my  longitude,  after  all ;  when  one  evening,  in  turn 
ing  over  the  Nautical  Almanac,  which  was  calculated  for 
1866,  1867,  1868,  and  1869,  my  eye  fell  upon  the  follow 
ing,  and  I  felt  that  my  task  was  done :  — 

Total  eclipse  of  the  moon,  September  30, 1866,  invisible  at  Green 
wich,  visible  in  South  America,  South  Pacific  Ocean,  and  parts  of 
Africa,  Asia,  and  Indian  Ocean. 

FORMULA   (CIVIL  ACCOUNT). 

Day.  Hour.  Min. 

Moon  enters  penumbra 30  5  44  A.M. 

Moon  enters  shadow    . 30  6  53 

Total  phase  begins 30  8  49 

Total  phase  ends 30  9  39 

Moon  leaves  shadow 30  10  45 

Moon  leaves  penumbra 30  11  55 

This  was  all  I  needed  to  verify  my  longitude  past  per- 
adventure,  and  I  went  to  work  at  once,  calculating  when 
the  eclipse  ought  to  take  place,  nearly,  with  me. 

At  a  rough  calculation  I  knew  that  my  island  was  situ 
ated  somewhere  between  the  110°  and  120°  of  longitude 
west  of  Greenwich,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
seven  hours'  difference  of  time  later  than  Greenwich  time. 
Therefore  I  knew  that  if  the  moon  entered  the  penumbra 
at  Greenwich  (although  invisible)  on  the  30d.  5h.  44  min. 


AN    EVENTFUL   DAY.  183 

A.M.  that  I  ought  to  look  for  it  to  occur  visibly  to  my  eyes 
somewhere  from  one  to  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  same  day,  or  seven  hours  later.  The  exact  difference 
in  the  time  between  Greenwich  and  that  to  be  observed 
on  my  island,  changed  into  degrees  and  minutes,  would, 
of  course  be  the  true  longitude  west  of  Greenwich. 

It  was  with  the  utmost  anxiety  that  I  awaited  the  com 
ing  of  the  30th  of  September,  for  it  all  depended  upon 
pleasant  weather  whether  or^not  I  should  be  able  to  make 
my  observation.  I  placed  my  astrolabe  so  as  to  be  able  to 
move  it  quickly  in  any  needed  direction,  as  I  intended 
to  use  the  tube  to  look  at  the  sun  through  so  as  not  to 
blind  my  eyes.  I  also  prepared  my  birch  bark  in  the 
house,  and  commenced  practising  myself  in  counting  sec 
onds,  for  I  should  have  to  leave  my  instrument  and  go  to 
the  house,  counting  all  the  time  to  note  the  time  marked 
by  my  clock.  I  found  upon  practice  that  I  could  not 
make  this  work  very  successfully,  and  that  according  to 
the  state  of  my  feelings  or  excitement  I  counted  long  and 
short  minutes.  ^This  would  not  do ;  I  must  invent  some 
thing  better ;  and  I  finally  bethought  myself  of  counting 
the  beatings  of  my  pulse  with  the  finger  of  one  hand  upon 
the  wrist  of  the  other,  and  applying  the  proportion  to  the 
interval  between  the  observed  time  by  my  clock. 

The  morning  at  last  came  that  I  so  much  desired,  and 
nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  than  the  balmy,  spring 
like  day  that  surrounded  me.  The  sky  was  cloudless  and 
the  sun  shone  down  in  splendor  through  a  clear  and  pure 


184  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

atmosphere.  The  morning  passed  slowly  away,  and  i' 
seemed  as  if  the  moon  and  sun  would  never  approach  each 
other;  but  finally,  in  the  afternoon,  the  heavens  showed 
me  that  the  eclipse  would  soon  take  place,  and  I  made  my 
arrangements  to  take  four  observations,  as  follows :  Time 
when  moon  entered  shadow ;  time  when  total  phase 
began ;  time  when  total  phase  ended ;  time  when  moon 
left  shadow. 

Nothing  could  have  been. better  than  the  afternoon  I 
experienced  to  make  these  observations,  and  in  less  than 
six  hours  the  whole  affair  was  over,  with  the  following 
result,  I  having  carefully  regulated  my  clock  as  near  as 
possible  by  an  observation  at  noon :  — 

Day.    Hour.     Min. 

Moon  enters  shadow  at  island  (civil  account)  .  30  2  50  P.M. 
Moon  enters  shadow  at  Greenwich  ....  30  6  53A.M. 


Difference 7  57 

Total  phase  begins  at  island 30  4  48  P.M. 

Total  phase  begins  at  Greenwich 30  8  49  A  M. 

Difference 7  59 

Total  phase  ends  at  island 30  5  34  P.M. 

Total  phase  ends  at  Greenwich     ;    ....  30  9  39A.M. 

Difference 7  55 

Moon  leaves  shadow  at  island 30  6  41  P.M. 

Moon  leaves  shadow  at  Greenwich    ....  30  10  45A.M. 


Difference 7  56 

Hours.  Min. 

Sum  of  differences,  four  observations 31  47 

Hours.  Min.  Sec. 

Mean  of  same 7        56  45 

Whirh,  reduced  to  time,  gives  the  longitude  of  the  island  119° 
11'  15"  west  of  Greenwich. 


THK    PROBLEM    SOLVED.  185 

There,  my  problem  was  done  and  I  was  for  the  moment 
happy.  Perhaps  some  will  wonder  why  I  cared  to  obtain 
the  latitude  and  longitude  of  my  island  at  all.  Let  me 
explain.  My  Bowditch's  Epitome  gave  the  latitude 
and  longitude  of  all  prominent  capes,  harbors,  headlands, 
light-houses,  etc.,  in  the  whole  Pacific  Ocean.  In  other 
words,  knowing  now  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  my 
own  island,  I  had  only  to  project  a  chart  on  Mercator's 
projection,  pricking  off  the  relative  positions  of  the  land 
on  all  sides  of  me,  as  well  as  the  position  of  my  island,  to 
have  a  practical  and  useful  chart.  Of  course  I  should 
not  be  able  to  draw  the  coast  line  or  the  circumference  of 
any  island,  but  my  chart  would  show  just  what  latitude  and 
longitude  Easter  Island  was  in,  for  instance,  and  just  how 
far  and  in  exactly  what  direction  my  island  lay  from  it. 
Also,  how  far  I  was  from  the  American  coast,  and  the 
exact  distance  and  course  from  any  of  the  principal  ports 
such  as  Lima,  Valparaiso,  Pisco,  etc.  How  far  from  New 
Zealand  and  the  Society  Islands,  and  in  what  direction 
from  them. 

Having  marked  the  exact  latitude  and  longitude  of 
each  of  these  places,  which  were  fully  given  in  the  Epi 
tome,  on  my  chart,  I  could  call  upon  my  memory  often  to 
fill  in  the  coast  lines,  and  even  if  I  should  in  the  case  of 
the  islands,  make  them  even  imaginary,  there  would  be  no 
harm  done,  for  the  little  black  star  on  each  would  show 
me  where  the  latitude  and  longitude  met  exactly,  and 
I  should  be  furnished  with  a  practical  chart  as  far  as  sea 


186  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

navigation  was  concerned,  but  not  one  that  would  be  of 
much  account  in  entering  any  harbors. 

I  cannot  say  that  at  this  time  I  had  any  fixed  plan  of 
escaping  from  the  island,  but  I  very  well  knew  that  noth 
ing  in  the  world  would  aid  me  so  much  in  the  attempt  an 
to  know  the  position  in  latitude  and  longitude  that  the 
island  occupied,  and  a  chart  of  the  surrounding  seas,  with 
its  numerous  islands  and  headlands  on  the  main  land.  It 
can  well  be  conceived  that  my  first  task  after  determining 
the  position  of  my  island  was  to  turn  to  the  Epitome  to 
ascertain  the  nearest  land  to  me  there  marked  down,  and 
after  diligent  search  this  is  what  I  found :  — 

"  Easter  Island  Peak,"  27°  8'  south  latitude  and  109°  17' 
west  longitude. 

"  Island,"  28°  6' south  latitude  and  95°  12'  west  longitude. 

"Group  of  Islands,"  31°  3'  south  latitude  and  129°  24' 
west  longitude. 

"  Massafuera,"  33°  45'  south  latitude  and  80°  47'  west 
longitude,  which  I  speedily  worked  out,  by  the  principles 
of  Mercator's  sailing,  to  be  in  course  and  distance  from 
my  island,  as  follows :  — 

Course.  Distance. 

Easter  Island  Peak   .     .     N.  N.  E.  J  E.  .  .  1,040  miles. 

Island N.  E.  f  E.     .  .  .  1,440      " 

Group  of  Islands  .     .     .     N.  W.  £  X.   .  .  .  840      " 

Massafuera       .     .     .     .     N.  N.  E.  $  E.  .  .  1,540       " 

Of  these  four  places  only  two  ever  had  a  name,  and  I 
did  not  know  whether  Easter  Island  was  inhabited  Ir  not, 
and  about  Massafuera  I  was  totally  ignorant. 


CHART   MAKING.  187 

Easter  Island,  I  knew,  of  course,  was  one  of  the  so-called 
Society  Islands,  and  was  the  nearest  practical  land  to  which 
I  could  escape.  But  how  was  I  safely  to  pass  over  a 
thousand  miles  of  water?  This  investigation  only  proved 
to  me  what  I  had  so  long  feared,  namely,  that  my  island 
was  out  of  the  track  of  all  trade,  and  that  it  would  be  a 
miracle  should  I  be  preserved  by  the  arrival  of  any  vessel. 
I  knew  now  that  I  must  really  give  up  all  hope  in  that 
direction,  and  set  to  work  seriously  to  help  myself. 

I  therefore  applied  myself  with  great  vigor  to  my  chart 
which  I  outlined  upon  nice  goatskin  parchment,  which  I 
glued  together  till  I  had  a  surface  nearly  four  feet  square, 
upon  which  I  could  lay  out  all  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  a  nice, 
large  scale,  by  Mercator's  projection.  I  went  on  with  my 
daily  work,  and  made  this  matter  one  for  evening  amuse 
ment,  and  as  I  pricked  off  the  latitude  and  longitude  of 
some  well-known  place,  that  I  in  former  years  had  visited, 
my  heart  swelled  within  me  with  grief  and  mortification, 
jiud  I  had  often  to  stop  and  wipe  the  tears  from  my  eyes 
before  I  could  proceed. 

Release  from  my  prison  seemed  farther  from  me  than 
ever,  as  I  advanced  in  my  task,  and  although  I  had  a  sort 
of  morbid  pleasure  in  my  work,  and  a  fascination  to  linger 
over  it,  yet  I  saw  plainly  that  I  was  indeed  cast  away; 
for  what  could  I  do  alone  in  a  boat,  even  supposing  that 
I  could  build  one  strong  enough  to  resist  one  thousand 
miles  of  water  ?  Who  was  to  steer  when  I  was  asleep  ? 
mid  then  supposing  I  should  be  able  to  arrive  at  Easter 


J88  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

Island,  what  guarantee  had  I  that  I  should  not  he  mur 
dered  at  once  by  the  natives  ? 

No,  here  I  was  fixed  beyond  fate  upon  my  own  island, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  companionship,  I  had  every 
thing  that  human  heart  could  wish  for.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  without  companionship  I  lacked  everything  that  is 
worth  living  for  in  this  world.  I  felt  that  the  problem  of 
all  problems  hereafter  to  me  would  be  how  can  I  escape 
to  some  civilized  country  in  safety?  And  from  what  I 
now  knew,  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  remain  a  problem  till 
my  bones  were  left  whitening  in  the  Hermitage. 

My  discovery  of  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  island 
had  brought  me  no  comfort,  and  I  felt  much  more  unensy 
now  than  I  did  before  finishing  my  task.  But  as  the 
summer  weather  came  on,  I  regained  to  a  degree  my  good 
spirits,  keeping,  however,  the  problem  of  escape  contin 
ually  working  in  my  mind,  for  I  knew  that  there  must  be 
some  way  to  solve  it,  especially  with  the  resources  that  I 
had  gathered  around  about  me. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  resum6  of  three  years  on  the  island.  Daily  routine  of  life.  Inventions, 
discoveries,  etc.  Fortification  of  the  Hermitage.  Manufacture  of  cannon 
and  guns.  Perfection  and  improvement  of  the  machine  shop.  Implicit 
faith  of  ultimately  overcoming  all  obstacles  and  escaping  from  the  island. 
Desire  to  accumulate  some  kind  of  portable  wealth  to  carry  with  me,  and 
decide  to  explore  the  island  for  its  hidden  wealth  and  the  surrounding  ocean 
for  pearl  oysters. 

I  SHALL  not  become  tedious  by  inflicting  upon  my 
readers  the  routine  of  each  day,  or  even  of  each  month 
or  year  that  I  have  passed  on  this  island,  but  shall  pick 
out  the  most  startling  events  of  my  life  here,  both  as  to 
the  inventions  that  I  have  made  and  the  accidents  and 
adventures  of  which  I  have  been  the  victim  and  hero. 

Of  course  my  discovery  of  iron  gave  me  wonderful 
power  to  advance  and  preserve  myself.  After  my  first  set 
of  tools  were  made,  as  I  have  enumerated  in  detail,  all 
other  work,  even  if  slow,  was  comparatively  easy. 

My  next  task,  after  making  the  common  tools  that  I 
needed  and  various  castings  that  were  useful  to  me,  was 
to  erect  a  turning  lathe,  —  one  for  wood,  which  was 
quite  simple,  and  one  for  iron,  which  was  a  work  of  some 
magnitude,  —  and  a  whole  year  elapsed  before  T  had  it 

189 


PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

perfected  to  my  taste.  The  castings  were  rough,  but 
solid  and  useful,  and  the  other  parts  were,  with  care  and 
attention,  at  last  made  mathematically  true,  and  this,  with 
a  drilling  machine  and  some  iron  rollers  to  roll  out  my 
metal  when  coming  from  the  furnace,  completed  my  iron 
foundry,  as  I  was  now  pleased  to  call  it. 

Having  all  these  things  about  me  it  was  a  small  matter 
to  cast  several  small  cannon,  of  some  four  or  six  pound 
calibre,  and  bore  them  out  on  my  turning-lathe  and  table. 
These  I  mounted  on  wooden  trucks,  and  placed  one  on 
East  Signal  Point,  one  on  Eastern  Cape,  one  on  South 
Cape,  which  I  transported  there  by  water  in  the  canoe 
Fairy,  one  on  Penguin  Point,  and  one  on  West  Signal 
Point.  It  was  fun  for  me  to  make  these  things,  and  there 
fore,  to  protect  myself  still  more,  I  made  a  number,  of 
smaller  calibre  even,  which  I  placed  pointing  out  through 
embrasures  in  a  wall  with  which  I  had  encircled  the  Her 
mitage,  and  surrounded  with  a  strong  picket  fence,  made 
of  cast-iron,  which  I  found  no  difficulty  in  casting  in  sec 
tions  of  nearly  ten  feet  in  length.  At  all  the  stations  at 
the  extremities  of  the  island  I  hid  a  little  amount  of  ammu 
nition,  near  the  cannon  erected,  and  also  a  flint  and  steel 
and  a  limestock  or  slow-match,  so  that  at  any  time,  if 
needful,  I  could  load  one  of  these  cannon  at  once  and 
discharge  it.  The  touchholes  I  covered  nicely  with  a 
piece  of  goatskin,  so  as  to  protect  the  guns  from  the 
weather,  and  fitted  all  the  muzzles  with  a  wooden  plug, 
so  that  the  interior  would  be  kept  clear  and  dry. 


PLACING  THE  CANNON.  — PAGE  190, 


MOUNT   MY    CANNON.  191 

In  the  wall  that  now  surrounded  my  Hermitage  I  built 
a  strong  iron  gate,  that  I  could  see  through  and  yet  too 
strong  to  be  broken  down  by  any  savage  hands.  The  iron 
fence  or  comb  which  ran  round  the  summit  of  this  wall, 
and  of  which  I  have  spoken,  crossed  also  above  the  gate 
way,  and  made  my  house  impregnable  to  anything  except 
artillery.  My  doorway  facing  this,  in  the  Hermitage  itself, 
had  long  been  replaced  by  a  nice  hard-wood  one,  with  iron 
hinges,  with  several  loopholes  left,  through  which  I  could 
poke  a  gun-barrel  or  discharge  an  arrow. 

I  had  six  cannon  mounted  on  my  wall,  two  in  front,  two 
on  each  side,  and  one  in  rear,  which  was,  however,  nat 
urally  protected  by  a  thick  and  almost  impenetrable  grove 
of  trees  and  undergrowth.  These  guns  were  mounted  in 
a  peculiar  manner  upon  carriages  that  allowed  the  muz 
zles  to  be  depressed  at  least  thirty  degrees,  and  I  kept  in 
store,  to  load  them  with,  quantities  of  iron  ball  castings, 
from  the  size  of  an  English  walnut  to  a  common  musket 
bullet,  which  at  close  quarters  would  do  fearful  execution. 
I  approached  these  guns,  from  the  interior,  by  means  of 
step  ladders,  made  of  wood,  leading  up  to  each  from 
the  enclosure,  and  an  oval  hole,  like  an  inverted  letter 
U,  was  left  in  the  iron  fencing  to  allow  the  muzzle  to 
protrude  over  the  wall.  This  opening,  however,  was 
small,  and  not  large  enough  to  admit  even  the  head  of  a 
man,  much  less  his  body.  The  erection  of  the  whole  wall, 
which  was  some  nine  feet  high,  cost  me  infinite  labor  and 
patience. 


102  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

The  fencing  on  top  of  it  was,  as  I  have  said,  rapidly 
turned  out  from  the  casting  mould,  and  gave  me,  compara 
tively  speaking,  little  trouble.  To  further  protect  this  my 
fortress  from  any  assaults,  I  brought  the  water  under 
ground  from  Rapid  River  into  the  Hermitage,  through  a 
series  of  pipes  made  of  pottery  thoroughly  baked,  glazed, 
and  made  so  as  to  fit  one  into  the  other,  and  controlled 
the  flow  by  means  of  a  stopcock  fixed  into  a  piece  of  cane. 
The  signs  of  this  underground  connection  with  Rapid 
River  I  took  care  to  thoroughly  efface.  And,  furthermore, 
I  made  it  a  duty  to  always  keep  at  least  six  months'  salted 
provisions  in  store,  ahead  of  all  demands,  —  such  as  salted 
and  smoked  herring,  salmon,  and  other  fish,  with  corned 
and  dried  goat's  flesh,  and  some  few  preserved  vegetables 
such  as  I  might  have  on  hand. 

In  rear  of  my  house,  between  the  end  of  the  house  and 
the  wall,  I  dug  a  subterranean  passage,  leading  under  my 
wall,  and  coming  again  to  the  surface  in  the  midst  of  a 
seemingly  impenetrable  thicket  of  undergrowth,  some 
thirty  yards  away  from  the  wall.  This  outlet  was  care 
fully  closed  by  a  trapdoor,  and  soil  even  strewed  on  top 
and  grass  allowed  to  grow  over  it.  I  did  not  know  but 
what  there  might  come  a  time  when  I  should  have  to  use 
this  passage,  as  the  last  recourse,  to  save  my  life;  and 
although  now  in  security  I  built  it  carefully,  to  be  pre 
pared  for  what  might  happen  in  the  future. 

After  all  these  tasks  for  my  defence  were  finished  I 
commenced  upon  a  set  of  guns  and  pistols,  or  rather  rifles, 


BIFLES    AND   PISTOLS.  198 

—  for  I  had  not  the  slightest  use  for  a  shotgun,  being  able, 
in  a  hundred  ways,  by  means  of  steel-traps  and  similar 
devices,  to  capture  all  the  birds  and  animals  I  needed, — 
which  I  desired  to  protect  myself  against  any  human  ene 
mies,  should  such  ever  appear.  To  this  end  I  easily  bored 
myself  out  some  four  nice  rifle  barrels,  and  some  half 
dozen  of  a  smaller  size  for  pistols ;  these  I  had  to  stock, 
and  mount  with  the  old-fashioned  flint  and  steel,  for  I  had 
no  means  of  making  any  percussion-powder.  I  worked 
at  these  for  a  long  time,  but  at  last  I  had  them  all  in  good 
order,  and  used  to  amuse  myself  by  practising  with  ball 
at  the  pigeons  on  the  trees,  and  the  ducks  on  the  river. 
I  did  not  make  the  best  shooting  in  the  world,  for,  not 
being  able  to  procure  lead,  I  was  forced  to  make  my  bul 
lets  of  steel,  and  to  revolve  them  in  a  cylinder  for  a  long 
time  with  sand,  to  make  them  globular  and  regular. 
The  barrels  of  my  guns  and  pistols  also  had  to  be  smooth 
bored  to  use  these  projectiles;  as  a  rifled  barrel,  if  I  could 
have  made  one,  would  have  been  ruined  by  cast-steel 
bullets ;  still  at  a  hundred  yards,  with  a  nice  greased 
patch,  I  was  able  to  make  good  execution,  and  the  pistols 
shot  with  strength  at  a  distance  of  at  least  twenty  yards. 
Both  weapons  suited  me  practically,  and  with  my  guns  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  shooting  several  of  the  wild  goats,  and 
also  seals,  whenever  I  needed  their  meat  or  skins. 

My  flock  of  tame  goats  all  this  while  had  grown  and 
increased,  and  I  added  to  my  home  comforts  cheese  and 
butter;  but  I  made  the  wheel  on  the  further  side  of  the 


194  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

river  do  all  the  churning  by  a  simple  application  of  the 
machinery  to  a  revolving  clapper  in  an  upright  churn. 

The  parchment  windows  in  the  Hermitage  had  long 
since  been  reinforced  by  iron  shutters  on  the  outside,  that, 
if  needed,  could  be  bolted  securely  on  the  inside,  and  the 
roof  had  been  refitted  and  made  of  timber  and  boards, 
and  the  whole  covered  with  tiles,  so  as  to  be  fireproof. 
Up  through  this  roof  I  had  also  built  a  tower,  of  brick, 
not  very  large  but  quite  high,  some  feet  above  the  ridge 
pole,  which  I  mounted  to  by  a  flight  of  stairs  from  the 
attic ;  for  the  upper  part  of  the  house  was  floored  off  and 
completed  when  I  erected  the  new  roof,  having  no  want 
now  of  either  boards  or  timber. 

Up  to  this  tower  I  trotted  every  morning  before  unbar 
ring  the  door  of  the  Hermitage  or  the  gate  of  the  enclo 
sure.  From  this  lookout  I  could  see  quite  well  in  several 
directions,  and  notice  if  anything  had  been  touched  or 
changed  from  the  evening  before.  I  missed,  I  think,  at 
this  time,  books  more  than  anything,  but  then,  again, 
from  the  very  want  of  them,  I  was  forced  to  study  with  my 
Epitome  and  Book  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sciences,  which 
possibly  I  might  have  thrown  one  side  for  less  useful  but 
more  entertaining  ones  if  I  had  had  them.  Wanting 
them,  I  was  becoming  versed  in  many  things  which  when 
I  came  upon  the  island  I  knew  nothing  about,  and  I  was 
pleased  to  think  that,  although  alone,  I  was  improving, 
and  the  usefulness  of  a  really  good  book  was  brought  for 
cibly  before  me  each  day,  for  I  could  not  open  either  of 


ADVANTAGES   OF  CLIMATE.  195 

mine  without  finding  food  for  reflection  and  study.  I 
had  always  had  my  head  full  of  vagaries  of  different 
kinds  that  I  should  like  some  time  to  try  and  experiment 
upon,  and  here  seemed  my  opportunity;  and  it  will  be 
observed,  in  its  proper  place,  further  on,  that  I  attempted 
many  things. 

It  was,  I  think,  in  my  third  year  that  I  felt  that  my 
daily  routine  was  fixed  for  life,  as  far  as  concerned  com 
forts  and  food;  for  by  that  time  I  had  wheat  for  my 
bread,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruits  that  I  have 
before  enumerated,  in  profusion.  My  apple  and  pear  trees 
would  soon  begin  to  bear,  and  in  a  year  or  two  more  I 
should  have  them  to  add  to  my  comforts.  I  had  already 
commenced  to  preserve  blackberries,  strawberries,  etc., 
and  found  that  my  maple  trees,  in  the  spring,  were  just 
as  prolific  as  those  in  my  Vermont  home,  and  that  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  obtaining  all  the  sugar  I  needed.  Roasted 
wheat  had,  however,  to  stand  me  instead  of  Java  coffee, 
but  this  made  me  quite  a  pleasant  drink. 

All  these  comforts  were  enhanced  by  a  climate  so  uni 
form  in  temperature  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  even  exist, 
the  winters  bringing  scarcely  an  inch  of  snow  or  ice  with 
them,  and  the  summers  even  and  mild  ;  warm,  to  be  sure, 
but  still  far  from  being  hot  or  oppressive.  As  I  have  said 
so  often  in  this  narrative  before,  what  in  the  world  could 
one  want  in  excess  of  all  this  but  companionship  ?  Ah ! 
it  is  little  known  how  many  bitter  hours  of  solitude  I 
passed  in  gathering  all  these  comforts  about  me,  and  how, 


196  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

with  a  tenderness  almost  womanly,  I  made  friends  with 
every  kid,  duck,  young  bird,  seal,  and  living  animal  that 
I  gathered  around  me,  and  made  pets  of  them  all.  My 
hardest  duties  were  to  destroy  these  animals  for  my 
own  consumption,  and  I  latterly  destroyed  what  I  could 
witli  the  gun  rather  than  touch  one  of  those  that  were 
domesticated.  Some  of  these  I  could  not  bear  to  lay 
my  hand  upon,  especially  my  young  kids  and  team  of 
goats  ;  but  thank  God  there  was  no  need  of  it.  I  could 
easily  destroy  one  of  their  species,  when  I  needed  the 
flesh,  with  my  rifle,  for  I  veritably  believe  that  I  should 
have  gone  without  animal  food  rather  than  touch  one 
of  these  pets.  Two  of  the  kids,  especially,  followed  me 
about  all  the  time,  and  even  into  my  canoe  when  I  took 
short  trips  abroad. 

I  had  by  this  time,  by  means  of  snares,  captured  seven 
species  of  birds  which  resembled  our  blackbirds  and  bobo 
links  of  the  north,  and  I  took  great  delight  in  feeding 
them  in  the  cages  I  had  made  for  them,  and  listening  to 
their  music  in  the  morning  and  evening  hours.  Long- 
search  had  taught  me  to  feel  sure  that  the  island 
had  no  venomous  insects  or  reptiles,  and  it  was  also 
wholly  free  from  that  nuisance  the  horse-fly,  which  is  said 
to  follow  civilization,  and  that  other  pest,  the  mosquito, 
was  wholly  unknown.  In  their  stead  there  were  a  few 
sand-fleas,  a  sort  of  wood-tick,  which  troubled  the  goats 
somewhat,  and  a  small  black  wood-fly,  that  was  not  trou 
blesome  except  in  some  seasons,  in  the  woods,  and  on  the 


EFFECTS    OF    MY    SOLITUDE.  197 

coast.  In  December  and  January,  green-headed  flies  were 
npt  to  take  hold  of  me  once  in  a  while,  but  not  so  as  to 
incommode  me. 

The  air  was  so  pure  that  meat  would  keep  a  long 
while  without  putrefaction,  even  in  the  warm  weather, 
and  having  nothing  better  to  do  to  take  up  my  mind,  I 
had,  during  the  past  winter,  collected  quite  an  amount  of 
thin  ice  from  Rapid  River,  which,  in  a  small  subterranean 
ice-house,  roofed  over  with  planks,  and  covered  with  saw 
dust,  I  had  stored  for  summer  use,  and  on  very  warm 
days  luxuriated  in. 

This  life  of  solitude  had  made  me  tender  to  even  inani 
mate  things,  and  it  was  wonderful  to  myself  how  the 
passion,  self-importance,  and  arbitrary  manner  of  one 
accustomed  to  command  at  sea  was  dying  out  in  me.  I 
began  to  almost  have  a  reverence  for  flowers  and  all  beau 
tiful  inanimate  things,  and  many  hours  of  my  life  were 
passed  in  my  garden  and  on  my  farm,  but  especially  the 
former,  in  examining  and  cultivating  some  beautiful  wild 
flower  or  trailing  vine  that  I  had  transported  hence  from 
the  forest.  I  felt  even  that  the  bearing  of  my  body  was 
changed  from  what  it  used  to  be  when  in  days  gone  by  I 
trod  the  quarter-deck  in  all  the  pride  and  majesty  of  power. 

I  cannot  say  that  I  was  at  this  time  contented,  but  I 
can  say  that  I  was  much  more  patient,  and  the  impetu 
osity  of  my  temperament  was  greatly  subdued,  and  many 
things,  both  animate  and  inanimate,  were  becoming,  in 
spite  of  myself,  very  dear  to  my  eyes.  I  even  at  times 


198  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

began  to  feel  homesick  when  I  was  absent  over  a  day,  in 
my  canoe,  from  the  Hermitage,  and  came  back  to  its  com 
forts  with  an  exclamation  of  gratification  and  a  swelling 
of  the  heart  with  joy  when  it  came  in  view,  and  showed 
itself  intact  during  my  temporary  absence ;  and  the  wel 
come  given  me  by  my  goats,  tame  pigeons,  ducks,  and 
birds  was  very  touching,  and,  as  I  have  said,  endeared  them 
to  me  greatly.  Still  for  no  moment  did  the  problem  of 
escape  leave  my  mind.  Although  without  relatives  or 
children,  I  often  dreamed  of  escaping  from  the  island  and 
returning  with  friends  to  enjoy  it  with  me  and  end  my 
days  here  in  peace.  I  often  thought  how  happy  I  could 
be  here,  far  from  the  cares  of  the  world  and  all  its  vain 
excitements,  could  I  see  around  about  me  smiling  faces  of 
my  fellow-men,  who  would  look  up  to  me  as  their  bene 
factor  and  ruler,  for  I  had  yet  left  some  of  the  seaman's 
instinct  of  desire  to  rule. 

Up  to  this  time  I  had  done  little  exploring  of  the  island ; 
my  first  trip  around  about  it  had  been  my  last,  and  my 
excursions  into  the  interior  had  been  short,  and  without 
making  any  material  discovery  of  moment.  This  was 
caused  by  the  great  tasks  that  I  had  given  myself  near 
home,  and  the  consummation  of  which  had  taken  all  my 
time.  I  had  worked  very  hard  to  accomplish  all  that  was 
laid  out  before  my  eyes,  and  had  had  little  time  for  wan 
dering  about  or  being  idle. 

No  sign  of  any  vessel,  or  canoes  of  savages,  had  ever 
disturbed  me.  I  had  often,  during  the  last  year,  visited 


APOSTKOPHE    TO    THE    OCEAN.  199 

the  points  of  my  island  nearest  to  me,  i.  e..  East  and  West 
Signal  Points  and  the  breakwater,  but  no  welcome  sail  had 
ever  met  my  eye.  The  sight  of  the  ocean  also  from  these 
points  always  gave  me  the  blues,  and  sent  me  home 
troubled  and  discontented,  for  the  intellect  given  me  by  the 
Creator  on  such  occasions  rebelled  against  my  fate,  and 
the  ocean  seemed  my  enemy,  whom  I  must  overcome,  and 
whom  I  could  overcome  if  I  could  only  think  of  the 
means,  for  I  would  never  acknowledge  myself  beaten,  but 
only  unable  for  the  present  to  cope  with  my  adversary ; 
and  I  used  to  talk  to  it,  and  say :  "  Some  day,  thou  mighty 
sea,  with  God's  help,  I  will  overcome  and  conquer  thee, 
and  compel  thee  to  carry  me  wherever  I  desire  to  be 
borne.  Power  has  been  given  man  over  the  beasts  of  the 
field  and  over  all  nature,  and  I  have  only  to  use  my  mind, 
with  which  God  has  endowed  me,  to  some  day  make  thee, 
now  my  master,  my  slave.  Roll  on,  therefore,  for  a  day 
shall  come,  God  willing,  in  which  thy  billows  shall  carry 
me,  and  the  winds  of  heaven  waft  me  to  civilized  lands, 
where  the  Creator  of  both  thee  and  me  is  adored  and 
worshipped.  You  shall  not  always  separate  me  from  the 
place  whence  I  came.  With  my  strong  hold  that  I  have 
obtained  I  will  yet  overcome  thee,  and  make  thee  my  steed 
of  deliverance,  instead  of,  as  now,  the  boundary  line  of  my 
imprisonment." 

My  daily  life  at  about  this  time  was  something  like 
this.  I  arose  in  the  morning,  and,  if  the  season  would 
admit  of  it,  took  a  plunge  in  Stillwater  Cove,  first,  how- 


200  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

ever,  visiting  my  tower  to  see  if  everything  was  all 
right  in  all  directions.  I  usually,  with  a  sailor's 
habits,  arose  early,  and  with  the  sun.  After  my  bath  I 
proceeded  to  feed  my  numerous  flock  of  goats,  kids, 
pigeons,  etc.,  and  then  to  the  cares  of  my  dairy,  milking 
my  goats  and  conveying  the  result  of  my  labors  to  my 
ice-house,  near  by,  to  be  kept  there,  and  at  proper  season 
to  be  made  into  butter  and  cheese.  Then  to  my  break 
fast,  which  I  could  change  in  many  various  ways,  as  my 
appetite  dictated,  always  commencing  the  same,  in  these 
days,  by  thanking  God  for  his  preservation  of  me,  and 
expressing  gratitude  for  the  food  before  me,  and  hopeful 
ness  of  ultimate  delivery  from  my  island  prison.  After 
breakfast  I  went  about  any  work  that  might  be  on  hand, 
such  as  fishing,  gunning,  or  arranging  my  household 
things,  working  in  my  iron  ore,  conveying  coal  or  iron  from 
the  mines,  or  running  my  sawmill,  or  else  digging  in  my 
garden  or  attending  to  my  farm  near  the  landing-place, 
and  the  thousand  and  one  daily  things  that  had  to  be 
done  with  one  pair  of  hands,  to  keep  my  establishment  in 
order. 

When  I  thought  it  noon  by  the  sun  (for  I  soon  gave  over 
the  attempt  to  keep  my  clumsy  clock  agoing  after  I  had  ob 
tained  my  latitude  and  longitude)  I  repaired  to  the  Hermit 
age,  and  if  the  weather  was  warm  and  pleasant  made  my 
meal  in  the  outer  air,  under  the  shade  of  a  fine  large  tree 
of  the  maple  species,  surrounded  by  my  domestic  birds ;  if 
in  winter,  by  my  fireside,  inside  the  house.  After  dinner 


DAILY   OCCUPATION.  201 

I  again  commenced  my  daily  toil,  first  taking  a  good  long 
smoke  of  my  favorite  pipe,  which,  all  things  considered, 
was  my  greatest  solace,  and  after  this  taking  up  the  work 
that  I  had  laid  down  at  the  dinner  hour.  I  kept  myself 
employed  till  sunset,  or  nearly  so, — for  I  did  not  now 
overwork  myself  as  I  used  to  in  the  beginning,  in  my 
impetuosity,  but  took  everything  mildly,  quietly,  and  com 
fortably, —  when  I  again  called  my  flock  together  and 
attended  to  my  milking.  I  knew  that  cheeses  would  keep 
a  long  while,  and,  looking  always  forward  to  an  escape, 
I  was  gradually  laying  up  a  stock  of  this  nutritious  arti 
cle  for  use  in  the  future  should  I  ever  need  it,  knowing 
well  how  palatable  and  refreshing  it  always  is  at  sea. 
After  the  milking  was  finished,  which  was  not  till  I  had 
gathered  the  flock  from  their  feeding  pastures,  I  entered 
my  house  for  the  night,  taking  with  me  one  or  two  of  my 
favorite  kids,  and  barring  the  iron  gate  in  the  enclosure 
wall  carefully  behind  me,  and  doing  the  same  with  the 
door  of  the  Hermitage. 

Once  within,  I  lighted  my  lamps  and  gave  myself  plenty 
of  light,  and  took  my  supper,  followed  by  the  inevitable 
pipe,  and  often  a  glass  of  my  claret  wine,  as  I  called  it, 
made  from  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape.  Then  I  got  out 
a  sheet  of  parchment  and  commenced  a  history  of  the 
day's  proceedings,  which  I  wrote  down  in  detail,  and  from 
which  this  narrative  is  condensed.  This  was  a  very  im 
portant  task,  for  upon  the  daily  performance  of  it  rested 
the  accuracy  of  my  calendar.  This  often  carried  me  well 


20'2  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

into  the  evening,  and  if  it  did  not,  and  I  was  not  very 
tired,  I  got  out  my  Bowditch's  Epitome  and  solved  a 
problem  or  two,  and  then  turned  to  my  Book  of  Useful 
Arts  mid  Sciences  and  stored  my  mind  with  some  new 
fact,  or  tried  to  decipher  some  of  the  things  that  were 
daily  becoming  more  clear  to  me,  and  which  I  had  com 
menced  by  understanding  scarcely  a  word  about.  When 
I  found  myself  nodding  over  this  work  I  quietly  betook 
myself  to  bed,  preferring,  as  a  rule,  my  upright  bedstead 
to  the  swinging  hammock.  I  never  put  out  the  lights 
and  only  removed  my  outer  clothing  when  I  slept,  but 
then  the  latter  was  a  very  natural  act  to  a  person  who  had 
for  years  turned  in  "  all  a  standing,"  as  sailors  say,  and 
ready  for  a  call  at  any  time  of  the  night  or  day.  My 
arms  and  ammunition  were  placed  within  easy  access  of 
my  hands,  and,  commending  my  soul  to  God,  I  used  to 
sleep. 

In  winter  I  kept  of  course  more  within  doors,  and 
busied  myself  upon  my  clothing  and  such  things  as 
needed  sewing  and  lashing  together,  fixing  little  nicknacks 
of  shell  and  wood  around  about  the  room,  to  hold  flowers 
and  ferns,  or  any  little  thing  that  had  attracted  my  eye, 
or  would  please  me  in  my  solitude.  On  rainy  days  I 
almost  always  went  to  work  in  my  smelting  house  at  the 
forge,  and  if  there  was  nothing  else  to  do  I  would  busy 
myself  in  the  making  of  nails  for  future  use,  I  having  to 
beat  out  each  one  on  the  anvil;  but  when  finished  each 
of  my  nails  was  a  wrought  one,  and  worth  a  do/on  cast 


WOKK    IN    THE    FOUNDRY.  203 

by  machinery.  I  always  found  plenty  to  do  here,  but  I 
worked  leisurely,  always  looking  toward  the  future.  I 
got  together  a  large  quantity  of  rolled  iron,  of  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  in  sheets  nearly  two 
feet  wide  and  some  eight  or  nine  in  length.  This  work 
shop  I  kept  improving  till  I  had,  besides  my  forge  and  all 
its  tools,  turning-lathes  both  for  wood  and  iron,  many 
other  useful  things,  which  I  had  constructed  at  odd  times, 
such  as  a  small  but  very  strong  derrick,  which  I  fitted 
with  iron  blocks  and  chains  and  with  a  winch  and  band, 
so  that  I  was  able  to  handle  large  masses  of  iron  with 
ease.  My  rollers,  also,  for  rolling  out  the  iron  when  at 
a  white  heat,  were  in  this  room,  and  I  had  long  since 
improved  and  strengthened  my  water-wheel,  so  that  I  had 
all  the  power  at  any  time  that  I  needed  or  desired,  to 
move  any  or  all  of  my  machinery. 

Besides  gathering  together  these  sheets  of  iron  I  put 
them  under  my  drilling  machine  and  punched  the  edges 
with  holes  of  an  uniform  size,  so  that  they  could  at  some 
time  be  riveted  together,  for  I  had  an  idea  in  my  head 
what  I  should  use  them  for.  The  making  of  a  large 
number  of  rivets  to  fit  these  holes  also  took  plenty  of  my 
time,  as  did  the  making  of  different  sizes  of  spikes,  and 
once  in  a  while  some  new  tool  that  I  felt  the  need  of. 
My  files,  also,  once  in  a  while  had  to  be  re-marked  and 
again  hardened,  and  thus  I  found  myself  always  with 
plenty  to  do  whenever  I  entered  the  smeltirig-house ;  and 
it  was  there  that  I  enjoyed  myself  the  most,  for  I  was  a 


204  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

born  mechanic,  and  I  liked  the  work,  and  nothing  pleased 
me  so  much  as  to  see  something  turning  out  under  my 
hand  from  a  crude  mass  of  iron  into  some  useful  tool,  or 
article  of  which  I  had  need.  Therefore  when  the  stormy 
and  rainy  days  came  it  was  with  absolute  pleasure  that  I 
walked  into  my  smelting-house  and  set  to  work.  It  was 
here  that  I  saw  my  deliverance  must  be  worked  out,  and 
never  a  day  passed  but  what  my  machinery  was  improved 
or  increased  in  some  way,  and  made  more  perfect  and 
reliable.  A  great  deal  of  it,  to  be  sure,  was  crude,  but 
it  was  also  practical;  and  when  a  piece  of  machinery 
would  not  perform  well  I  went  to  work,  and  kept  at  it 
until  it  would,  and  in  the  end  had  not  the  slightest  trouble 
in  rolling,  casting,  drilling,  planing,  and  turning  iron  or 
cast-steel,  in  all  reasonable  shapes.  To  be  sure  my  ma 
chinery  was  not  painted,  or  even  well  finished,  except  in 
the  working  parts,  but  to  those  sections  I  gave  a  me 
chanic's  care.  I  not  only  worked  here,  however,  on  stormy 
days  alone,  but  also  nearly  every  spare  moment  that  I  had 
from  other  duties  that  were  also  pressing. 

As  my  riches  began  to  accumulate  I  began  to  think 
seriously  of  exploring  the  island  for  its  hidden  wealth, 
and  see  if  I  could  not  during  these  years  that  I  was 
waiting  for  escape  —  which  I  had  made  up  my  mind  was 
sure  to  come  —  lay  up  enough  wealth,  in  some  shape,  to 
take  with  me  when  I  should  depart,  that  would  make 
me  rich  for  the  remainder  of  my  days.  Knowing  that 
such  wealth,  to  be  conveyed  away  by  me,  must  necessarily 


A    NEW    IDEA.  205 

be  in  a  small  compass,  I  was  working  out  si  problem  at 
this  very  time  to  explore  the  bottom  of  the'  ocean  around 
my  island,  and  see  if  I  could  not  hit  upon  some  pearl- 
oyster  beds,  whence  I  could  draw  riches  to  carry  away 
with  me  when  I  should  leave  this  island,  and  the  theory 
that  I  had  gotten  into  my  head,  and  which  I  was  trying 
to  put  into  actual  practice,  was  the  following  :  — 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Construct  a  submarine  boat,  to  be  propelled  by  goat  power  and  to  make  its 
own  air,  to  examine  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  near  the  island  for  pearl-oysters. 

YES,  as  I  have  hinted  in  the  preceding  chapter,  I  had 
fully  made  up  my  mind  to  explore  the  bottom  of  the  ocean 
that  surrounded  my  island,  and  I  did  not  intend  to  com 
mence  in  the  stupid  way  in  which  the  former  Crusoe  went 
to  work,  and  build  me  a  boat  and  then  be  unable  to  launch 
it.  Far  from  it.  My  very  first  care  was  to  erect  ways 
running  down  into  Stillwater  Cove,  made  out  of  large 
square  timbers,  placed  at  a  considerable  decline,  so  that  I 
felt  confident  that  what  I  should  erect  upon  them  could 
be  launched  by  me  into  the  water  without  difficulty  or 
trouble.  These  ways  I  bolted  strongly  together,  and  made 
firm  and  enduring,  and  upon  them  erected  a  kind  of  raft, 
which  I  kept  in  place  by  means  of  upright  iron  bolts 
through  the  timbers  of  the  ways,  which  prevented  it,  for 
the  time  being,  from  slipping  into  the  water  if  it  should  be 
so  inclined,  but  which,  when  the  bolts  were  removed,  and 
the  three  timbers  upon  which  it  rested  well  greased,  I  felt 
sure  would,  at  the  proper  moment  desired,  slip  into  Still- 
water  Cove. 

200 


BEGIN    UPON    A    SUBMARINE    BOAT.  207 

Upon  this  raft  I  commenced  to  construct  my  submarine 
boat.  These  launching-ways  were  erected  near  the  smelt 
ing  house,  and  not  far  below  the  falls,  just  where  the  water 
became  deep  enough  for  my  purpose,  and  yet  as  near  as 
possible  of  access  to  my  forge  and  shop.  The  raft  that  I 
built  and  erected  upon  the  ways  was  only  as  a  cradle  to 
support  my  submarine  boat  so  that  I  could  float  the  whole 
affair  to  the  mouth  of  Stillwater  Cove  before  allowing 
the  latter  to  be  submerged ;  for  where  I  now  was  there 
was  not  water  enough  for  my  experiment,  and  I  well  knew 
that  if  my  boat,  which  was  to  be  of  iron,  was  once 
launched,  and  should,  by  its  displacement  or  specific 
gravity,  go  to  the  bottom,  that  I  should  be  unable  to  raise 
it  again,  and  that  in  the  water  directly  in  front  of  the 
ways  it  would  touch  the  bottom  even  before  it  would  be 
submerged.  On  the  other  hand,  if  I  should  erect  my 
ways  running  into  deep  water  at  some  place  near  the 
mouth  of  Stillwater  Cove,  and  opposite  Point  Deliverance, 
I  should  have  no  means  at  hand  to  complete  it,  all  my 
forges,  iron-work,  tools,  and  shop  being  too  far  distant  for 
such  an  undertaking.  I  saAV,  therefore,  that  I  must  con 
struct  it  near  to  my  foundry,  and  hence  I  chose  this 
method  of  a  cradle,  or  raft,  to  carry  out  my  plan.  This 
raft,  or  cradle  as  I  shall  call  it  in  future,  was  of  itself 
quite  an  undertaking,  for  I  had  to  make  it  of  mortised 
pieces  of  wood,  so  that  at  the  proper  time  I  could  take  it 
to  pieces,  and  allow  its  load,  the  submarine  boat,  to  drop 
into  the  ocean,  nt  some  place  yet  to  be  determined,  to  which 


308  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

I  should  tow  it,  where  the  water  would  be  smooth,  and 
protected  from  the  billows  of  the  ocean,  and  not  too  deep 
for  my  experiment. 

I  had  also  another  care  in  forming  this  cradle,  and  that 
was,  that  it  should  be  buoyant  enough  to  sustain  the  sub 
marine  boat,  and  not,  when  launched,  go  to  the  bottom  of 
Stillwater  Cove  with  its  precious  freight,  on  account  of 
the  weight  of  the  latter.  This  cradle,  therefore,  took 
both  time  and  care  to  make,  and  long  hours  were  passed 
by  me  in  figuring  out  the  weight  of  the  iron  boat  I  was 
about  to  build,  and  how  large  and  extensive  my  cradle 
ought  to  be  to  sustain  it.  By  studying  my  book,  and  by 
experimenting  in  different  ways  with  small  vessels  of  pot 
tery  and  bladders  blown  up  with  air,  that  I  submerged,  I 
got  at  what  I  thought  would  be  about  the  weight  of  ray 
submarine  boat  and  its  relation  to  the  cradle,  and  I  saw 
plainly  that  the  latter  would  have  to  be  improved  in  some 
way  to  sustain  the  necessary  weight.  So  this  is  how  I 
went  to  work  to  overcome  this  obstacle. 

On  the  two  long  sides  of  the  cradle  running  parallel  to 
the  timber  wrays,  beyond  which  they  extended  several  feet 
(although  the  ways  themselves  were  some  six  feet  wide 
from  the  outside  of  one  timber  to  the  outside  of  the 
other,  by  my  island  rule),  I  lashed  firmly  with  iron  bands 
and  bolts  two  water-tight  iron  tanks,  which  I  constructed 
of  my  rolled  iron,  riveted  together,  fully  six  feet  long, 
three  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  deep.  The  dimensions  of 
the  cradle  itself  were  about  these :  Ten  feet  wide  and 


MAKING    THE   CRADLE.  209 

eighteen  feet  in  length,  resting  firmly  upon  the  three 
declined  timbers  or  ways,  which  were  six  feet  wide  from 
side  to  side  and  some  forty  feet  in  length  from  where  they 
commenced  on  the  shore  to  their  terminus  under  the 
water  in  Stillwater  Cove,  at  a  depth  of  about  eight  or 
nine  feet  at  high  water.  They  were  kept  in  place  by  their 
own  weight,  being  of  as  large  a  size  as  I  could  handle 
with  my  team  of  goats,  and  of  hard-wood,  the  inclination 
they  received  from  the  shore  ends  forcing  the  outer  ends 
to  the  bottom  of  the  water.  Of  course  these  ways  were 
not  made  of  one  piece  of  timber  but  of  several,  which 
were  as  large  as  I  dared  cut  them  with  any  hope  of  being 
able  to  handle  them,  and  were  fished  together  to  make 
the  required  length,  being  first  sawed  out  at  the  mill, 
planed  upon  the  upper  side  by  hand,  and  then  let  down 
again  over  the  inclined  planes  of  the  mill  into  Rapid 
River,  and  thence  thrust  over  the  falls  into  the  shallow 
water  and  conveyed  to  their  place,  where  I  pulled  them 
on  shore  by  means  of  rollers  and  my  team  of  goats,  till  I 
had  each  in  place  and  mounted  upon  short  uprights  of 
other  timber,  that  I  had  placed  at  equal  distances  from 
<>ach  other,  and  higher  one  than  the  other  as  they  were 
erected  landward  from  the  water. 

The  underpinning  of  my  cradle  was  exactly  like  the 
wooden  underpinning  of  a  house,  and  consisted  of  a  par 
allelogram,  eighteen  feet  by  ten  feet,  with  timbers  of 
about  eight  inches  square.  Across  these  timbers  were 
placed  smaller  ones  in  sockets,  exactly  as  slats  are  placed 


210  PERSE VEltANCE    ISLAND. 

across  a  bed,  and  this  was  to  form  the  foundations  upon 
which  I  was  to  erect  my  boat. 

When  I  desired  to  submerge  it  I  had  only  to  saw  away 
each  of  these  slats,  on  either  side,  and  it  would  drop  into 
the  ocean,  leaving  the  outer  framework  —  or  bedstead,  if 
you  please  —  floating;  for  my  boat  was  to  be  built,  of 
course,  less  than  eighteen  feet  long  and  ten  wide,  so  as  to 
rest  wholly  upon  these  slats  and  not  upon  the  framework 
of  the  cradle  that  supported  the  slats.  This  took  me  a 
long  time  to  finish ;  but  what  was  time  to  me  whilst  re 
volving  the  problem  of  my  escape,  which  was  not  yet 
solved.  Till  I  knew  how  I  was  to  escape  I  should  never 
again  be  in  a  hurry. 

To  build  my  boat  I  commenced  by  making  two  water 
tight  tanks,  each  sixteen  feet  long  and  two  feet  square, 
and  two  smaller  ones,  each  six  feet  long  and  of  the  same 
dimensions  otherwise  as  the  long  ones ;  these,  placed  upon 
the  slats  of  my  cradle,  gave  me  a  parallelogram  composed 
of  four  water-tight  tanks,  all  made  out  of  my  rolled  iron 
and  riveted  together  firmly.  I  had  to  erect  a  derrick  to 
hoist  them  into  place,  but  once  in  the  cradle  I  had  only  to 
bind  the  two  ends  of  each  extremity  of  the  long  tanks  to 
the  short  ones  placed  at  right  angles  to  them  and  I  had 
the  foundations  of  my  boat  laid.  I  bound  the  small  tanks 
in  place,  as  also  the  large  ones,  by  bands  of  iron,  several 
in  number,  which  I  brought  together  on  one  side  by  means 
of  what  is  called  a  turn  buckle,  such  as  is  often  seen  on 
iron  bridges,  both  ends  of  the  bands  being  formed  with  a 


NOT    SO    WISE    AS    T    THOUGHT    MYSELF.          211 

screw-thread,  and  fitting  into  this  turn-buckle  nut  on  both 
sides,  which  could  be  then  tightened  by  means  of  a  lever, 
so  as  to  bring  an  immense  binding  force  upon  each  band. 

Upon  the  outer  edge  of  this  parallelogram  of  tanks  I 
had  left  a  sort  of  comb  of  iron,  some  three  inches  in 
height,  already  pierced,  or  rather  punched,  ready  to  receive 
the  roof  of  the  boat,  also  air-tight,  to  be  bolted  to  it,  so  that 
when  all  was  done  my  platform  of  tanks  would  be  nearly 
two  feet  wide  within  the  boat,  and  allow  me  plenty  of 
margin  to  rest  any  kind  of  a  movable  platform  upon,  or 
deck  over  the  space  that  was  left  open,  some  fourteen  feet 
long  by  six  feet  wide. 

The  nearest  description  that  I  can  give  of  this  roof  is, 
that  it  rose  in  all  directions  at  an  angle  of  about  forty- 
five  degrees  till  it  was  bolted  to  a  large  flat  surface  made 
up  of  several  sheets  of  rolled  iron,  which  formed  the  top, 
which  was  ten  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide.  This  flat 
roof  was  fitted  with  a  manhole,  somewhat  large  in  pro 
portion  to  the  rest  of  the  boat,  at  least  two  feet  square, 
and  fitted  over  a  raised  rib  of  iron,  which  was  packed 
with  greased  milkweed  floss,  and  closed  on  the  inside  by 
set-screws,  that  were  worked  with  a  short  iron  lever,  so 
as  to  make  the  opening  perfectly  air-tight. 

I  commenced  this  chapter  by  saying  that  I  did  not 
intend  to  make  such  a  fool  of  myself  as  the  old  Robinson 
Crusoe  did,  and  that  I  was  not  going  to  make  any  errors 
either  of  judgment  or  figures ;  and  yet  I  had  not  my  boat 
completed  as  far  as  I  have  described  before  I  discovered 


212  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

that  I  had  been  a  silly  ass,  fully  as  silly  as  it  was  possible 
for  a  mechanic  to  be,  and  one  day  it  flashed  upon  me  that 
my  whole  cradle,  with  its  air-tight  chests,  was  an  egregious 
folly ;  that  I  had  not  the  least  need  in  the  world  for  it,  and 
that  I  had  wasted  time,  labor,  and  patience  in  perfecting 
it.  Carried  away,  as  I  was,  with  the  means  I  intended  to 
employ  to  sink  and  raise  my  boat  I  had  totally  overlooked 
the  fact  that  as  now  being  built,  and  as  it  would  be 
launched,  that  it  would  float  itself,  the  size  of  the  four 
air-tight  tanks  being  sufficient  to  float  five  times  the  upper 
structure  built  on  top  of  them. 

As  I  am  writing  a  veritable  history,  and  no  fable,  it 
behooves  me  to  tell  the  truth,  and  it  was  with  feelings  of 
both  mortification  and  mirth  that  I  surveyed  my  partially 
finished  work.  It  was  the  mental  contemplation  of  a 
series  of  air-cocks,  weights,  pumps,  etc.,  to  be  hereinafter 
described,  that  had  led  me  astray  as  to  the  buoyancy  of 
the  boat  as  it  now  stood,  and  it  was  what  I  was  going  to 
use  the  tanks  for,  rather  than  what  they  now  were,  that 
had  led  me  to  this  error.  But  then  there  was  no  great 
harm  done.  I  had  not  to  change  the  plan  of  the  boat  in 
the  minutest  particular,  and  the  cradle  might  after  all  be 
advantageous  in  launching  it,  and  preserve  it  from  any 
casualty.  Therefore,  with  the  exception  of  my  loss  of 
time,  I  was  nothing  the  worse ;  still  I  was  rather  crest 
fallen  to  think  what  a  mistake  I  had  made.  But  after 
mourning  for  a  short  time  I  set  to  work  with  renewed 
ardor  to  complete  my  task. 


SUBMARINE    CRAFT.  213 

After  having  strapped  the  four  tanks  together  and  cov 
ered  them  with  the  iron  roof,  as  described,  I  went  on  to 
complete  the  remainder  of  the  boat,  in  this  manner.  In 
the  interior,  which  I  could  easily  reach  by  getting  up 
from  underneath  the  ways  through  two  of  the  slats  of  the 
cradle,  I  arranged  the  following:  The  space  in  which  I 
had  to  work  was  about  fourteen  feet  in  length,  six  feet 
wide,  and  eight  feet  high  from  the  bottom  of  the  tanks  to 
the  flat  roof,  which  contained  the  manhole,  which,  for  the 
present  I  left  open,  to  give  me  both  light  and  air.  In  the 
first  place  I  connected  all  these  four  tanks  together  by 
means  of  a  half-circular  arm  of  piping  some  three  inches 
in  diameter,  which  I  placed  in  each  of  the  four  corners  of 
the  parallelogram  formed  by  the  interior  of  the  boat, 
leading  from  one  tank  to  the  other,  where  the  latter  met 
at  an  angle,  so  that  the  air  that  each  contained  was  put 
in  direct  communication  with  the  others.  These  con 
necting  pipes  were  fitted  in  with  a  flange  and  riveted, 
and  were  placed  a  few  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the 
tanks,  thus  making  really  one  tank  of  the  whole.  As  the 
roof  was  fastened  to  the  outside  of  these  tanks,  I  had  a 
seat  or  margin  running  round  all  the  sides  of  the  interior 
two  feet  wide,  from  the  outer  or  further  side  of  which 
arose  the  roofing.  I  could,  therefore,  easily  lay  any  kind 
of  a  movable  deck  over  this  open  space  of  fourteen  feet 
by  six  feet,  resting  the  ends  of  all  my  planks  upon  the 
top  of  the  tanks  in  any  direction. 

Having  connected  all  the  tanks  so  as  virtually  to  form 


L!14  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

one,  so  far  as  concerned  being  one  air-chamber,  I  then 
went  to  work  and  pierced  the  perpendicular  side  of  one  of 
the  tanks  quite  near  the  bottom  and  inserted  a  similar 
pipe  to  the  horizontal  ones  that  connected  the  tanks  r.t 
the  angles.  This  pipe,  however,  was  in  the  form  of  a  right 
tingle,  or  rather  its  two  ends  were  at  a  right  angle,  the 
bend  being  of  a  circular  form.  It  pierced  the  tank  near 
the  bottom,  as  I  have  said,  extended  in  a  horizontal  line 
^iome  eight  inches,  and  then  gradually  turned  in  a  circular 
manner  till  the  other  end,  about  one  foot  in  length, 
pointed  downward,  in  an  exact  right-angle  from  the  end 
entering  the  tank.  This  was  put  on  with  a  flange,  arid 
made  water-tight,  and  in  the  top  of  it,  about  three  inches 
from  the  tank,  was  fixed  a  stopcock,  with  a  long  rod,  which 
arose  inside  the  boat,  parallel  with  the  side  of  the  tank, 
till  it  ended  in  a  handle,  situated  some  ten  inches  higher 
r  1:111  the  top  of  the  tanks.  Near  this,  also,  I  erected 
;i Mother  piece  of  pipe,  which  entered  the  top  of  the  tank 
MR!  pierced  the  roof  of  the  boat,  which  was  also  fitted 
•with  a  stopcock.  Still  another  pipe  pierced  the  roof, 
which  was  fitted  with  a  stopcock  outside  as  well  as  inside, 
and  depended  down  into  the  boat  some  four  feet  from  the 
roof.  These  four  pipes,  with  their  stopcocks,  were  so 
arranged  as  to  be  all  near  to  each  other,  so  that  I  could 
control  them  all  without  moving  in  my  position,  and  were 
made  at  about  the  middle  of  what  I  called  the  starboard 
side  of  my  boat,  though  it  would  be  hard  to  say  which 
side  starboard  was,  as  both  ends  of  the  boat  were  exactly 


EXPLANATION    OF    APPARATUS.  215 

alike  up  to  the  present  time.  But  as  I  was  eventually  to 
have  a  propeller  and  rudder,  which  would  define  the 
stern,  I  had  already  concluded  that  the  part  of  the  bout 
nearest  the  water  should  be  the  bows,  and  hence  I  knew 
which  to  call  the  starboard  side  and  which  the  port  side. 
Added  to -the  pipes  and  stopcocks  already  enumerated 
was  one  which  was  simply  about  a  foot  in  height, 
which  pierced  the  tank  on  the  top,  some  few  inches  from 
the  inner  edge,  and  near  the  others.  It  was  also  fitted 
with  a  stopcock,  and,  that  my  readers  may  fully  under 
stand  the  uses  to  which  I  put  all  theso  appliances  at 
a  later  day,  it  will  be  well,  perhaps,  to  name  them,  so  that 
when  used  it  will  be  possible  to  understand  to  which  of 
the  numerous  ones  I  refer ;  and  to  prevent  confusion,  and 
to  make  myself  understood,  I  will  say  that  the  pipes  at 
the  angles  of  the  tanks  I  took  no  note  of,  they  not  being 
fitted  with  any  cocks,  and  only  made  to  connect  all  the 
tanks  together,  so  that  any  action  I  might  make  with  any 
of  the  stopcocks  would  be  communicated  to  the  whole 
system  of  tanks,  of  which  the  foundations  and  main  part 
of  the  boat  was  formed. 

The  pipes  with  stopcocks  I  named  as  follows:  The  one 
leading  down  into  what  would  bo  the  water  when  the 
boat  was  launched,  and  below  the  bottom  of  the  tank 
some  inches,  fitted  with  a  long  rod  and  handle,  I  called 
the  water-pipe  and  stopcock  ;  the  one  that  connected  the 
tank  with  the  roof,  the  tank  air-pipe  and  stopcock ;  the 
one  that  pierced  the  roof  and  depended  into  the  interior, 


216  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

the  atmospheric  pipe  and  outer  and  inner  stopcocks ;  the 
one  that  stood  erect,  ten  inches  in  height,  the  pump-pipe 
and  stopcock.  So  that  I  had  four  pipes  and  five  stop 
cocks  to  my  boat,  all  of  which  had  their  uses,  as  shall  be 
related. 

Besides  r.ll  these  four  pipes  I  also  made  near  to  them  an 
opening  into  the  tanks,  which  was  fitted  with  a  screw 
thread,  upon  whicli  I  could,  when  occasion  demanded, 
erect  a  quite  large  and  powerful  pump,  that  I  had  made 
for  the  express  purpose. 

One  more  thing  remained  to  be  done,  and  that  was  to 
make  all  around  the  boat  inside  a  sort  of  movable  step, 
that  would  ship  and  unship.  I  was  well  aware  that,  unless 
the  centre  of  gravity  was  kept  well  down,  my  boat  would 
capsize  and  spill  out  all  the  air  when  in  use,  and  to  prevent 
this  I  made  these  movable  steps,  which  it  is  difficult  to 
describe.  They  were  made  of  an  upright  piece  of  wood 
that  was  over  four  feet  in  length,  and  on  the  top  of  which 
another  piece  of  wood  was  nailed  horizontally,  some 
twelve  inches  in  width,  like  one  arm  of  the  letter  T, 
whilst  at  the  other  end  of  the  upright  of  four  feet  in 
length  was  nailed  another  horizontal  piece,  some  twelve 
inches  in  width,  on  exactly  the  opposite  side,  like  the  let 
ter  L ;  so  that  when  the  whole  was  done  the  upper  hori 
zontal  board  rested  one  foot  on  the  top  of  the  tanks, 
whilst  at  the  other  end  of  the  upright,  two  feet  below 
the  bottom  of  the  tanks,  was  the  other  horizontal  board, 
facing  in  towards  the  centre  of  the  boat  in  all  directions, 


GOAT-POWER.  21 7 

and  forming  a  kind  of  step  or  shelf,  upon  which  weights 
could  be  placed  so  as  to  prevent  all  chance  of  the  capsiz 
ing  of  the  boat,  the  vomiting  out  of  its  air,  and  perhaps 
the  destruction  of  its  constructor  and  inventor.  I  had 
this  so  arranged  that  I  could  speedily  ship  and  unship  it 
in  sections,  for  it  was  of  course  greatly  in  the  way,  and 
of  no  use  except  when  the  boat  was  launched. 

I  then  completed  my  deck,  which  I  made  of  light 
planks,  marked  and  arranged  so  that  I  could  readily  board 
over  all  the  space  in  the  interior  or  leave  part  of  it  open. 
Upon  further  thoughts,  some  of  this  deck  I  made  perma 
nent,  leaving  only  a  space  of  about  six  feet  by  four  open 
in  the  forward  end,  which  I  could  cover  or  uncover. 

I  then  entered  upon  another  part  of  the  programme, 
namely,  the  motive  power  by  which  I  was  to  move  this 
submarine  monster,  but  that  I  had  long  ago  solved  in  my 
own  mind.  For  some  months  I  had  been  practising  two 
fine  young  goats  upon  a  treadmill  fitted  to  their  size  and 
strength,  all  the  time  having  in  view  the  end  of  using 
them  to  create  the  motive  power  of  my  boat ;  and  for  this 
purpose  I  had  left  the  manhole  two  feet  square  so  as  to 
be  able  to  take  them  down  with  me  into  it.  I  now  went 
to  work  and  transported  the  treadmill  to  the  boat,  and, 
having  fixed  it  in  place,  I  each  day  conveyed  the  goats  on 
board  and  set  them  to  work,  so  that  they  might  get  used 
to  it.  They  were  already  used  to  the  motion  of  the  mill, 
and  I  noticed  that  with  the  precision  of  step  of  their  race 
they  worked  the  rounds  of  the  mill  much  better  than 


218  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND.       ^ 

horses  usually  do,  and  they  soon  became  accust.omed  to 
the  boat  and  worked  rapidly  and  well,  obeying  the  least 
word  of  command.  In  fact  they  were  to  me  almost  com 
panions,  and  it  would  be  amazing  to  relate,  if  I  had  time, 
all  I  have  taught  these  really  sagacious  and  gentle  crea 
tures  since  I  have  been  on  the  island ;  not  these  very 
ones  of  which  I  am  now  speaking  in  particular,  but  several 
of  their  race.  Perhaps  before  I  am  through  with  my 
narrative  I  may  give  an  idea  of  the  many  interesting 
things  which  I  taught  them. 

For  a  long  time  I  allowed  the  mill  to  be  turned  daily, 
without  making  up  my  mind  just  how  I  would  connect  it 
with  the  wheel  or  screw  that  I  foresaw  that  I  should  have 
to  make  to  propel  the  boat.  I  at  last  fixed  upon  a  pro 
peller,  to  work  in  the  open  space  of  water  in  the  interior 
of  the  boat,  and  which  I  readily  set  up  with  good  strong 
gearing,  that  I  could  as  readily  take  down  by  hand  when 
needful.  By  means  of  bevelled  gearing  I  obtained  several 
revolutions  of  my  propeller  to  one  of  the  balance-wheel 
of  the  treadmill,  and  I  saw,  as  a  mechanic,  that  my  boat 
would  move  forward,  perhaps  not  very  fast,  but  still  at  the 
rate  of  three  or  four  knots  an  hour,  which  would  answer 
all  purposes. 

I  had  one  more  necessary  thing  to  make,  and  that  was 
a  rudder,  which  I  connected  to  the  outside  of  the  rear 
tank  of  the  boat,  bringing  the  tiller  or  steering  rods  into 
the  interior  of  the  boat  under  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  I 
took  care  to  fasten  the  heel  of  the  rudder,  which  was 


.  HOW    TO    RENEW    THE    AIR.  219 

quite  wide,  above  the  line  of  the  bottom  of  the  tank,  so 
that  if  the  boat  grounded  it  would  not  be  injured  or 
destroyed. 

And  now  I  came  to  the  most  important  part  of  my  boat, 
and,  in  fact,  upon  the  success  of  which,  and  practical  ap 
plication,  rested  the  actual  consummation  of  all  my  efforts. 
It  was  to  obtain  a  supply  of  air  whilst  under  the  surface 
of  the  water  without  connection  with  the  atmosphere, 
from  which  I  was  of  course  debarred.  This  problem 
solved,  I  had,  I  felt,  the  whole  matter  under  control,  — 
and  let  it  not  be  believed  that  I  had  proceeded  thus  far 
in  my  self-imposed  task  without  seeing  a  way  out  of  this 
difficulty.  The  following  every-day  facts  were  easily 
ascertained  from  my  Book  of  Useful  Arts  and  Sci 
ences,  and  upon  the  following  conclusions  I  had  based 
my  invention.  It  is  well  known  that  oxygen  is  the  por 
tion  of  atmospheric  air  which  supports  life,  and  that  it 
composes  nearly  twenty-two  per  cent  of  the  same,  whilst 
nitrogen,  the  remaining  portion,  is  incapable  of  sustaining- 
life.  It  is  also  well  known  that  water  also  contains  oxy 
gen,  in  the  proportion  of  two  parts  to  one  of  hydrogen, 
of  which  two  gases  water  is  composed ;  or,  in  other  words 
whilst  atmospheric  air  holds  only  twenty-two  per  cent  of 
the  life-giving  principle,  water  contains  about  sixty-six  per 
cent,  or,  by  weight,  eight-ninths  of  oxygen  to  one-ninth 
of  hydrogen.  I  also  ascertained  that  the  specific  gravity 
of  nitrogen  is  0.94,  whilst  that  of  hydrogen  is  only  0.0692. 
Now  if  I  could  release  the  oxygen  in  the  water  I  could 


220  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

make  new  air  and  at  the  same  time  precipitate  the  nitro 
gen  and  carbonic  acid  in  the  boat,  that  might  be  in  the 
atmosphere,  that  had  accumulated  by  my  repeated 
breathings.  Now  the  only  problem  to  solve  was  evidently 
how  to  release  this  oxygen  with  which  the  water  was  so 
freely  impregnated,  charged,  or  made  up  of,  and  by  the 
breathing  of  which  fishes  sustained  life.  And  this  is  how 
I  set  about  to  do  it.  I  made  a  very  light  paddle-wheel, 
full  six  feet  in  diameter,  with  many,  but  light  arms,  and 
only  six  inches  across  the  face  of  each  paddle ;  this  was 
arranged  so  as  to  ship  inside  the  boat,  upon  sockets 
arranged  so  that  the  lower 'paddles  would  just  touch  the 
water,  and  was  adjustible  by  set  screws,  so  that  the  jour 
nals  could  be  lowered  or  elevated  as  the  pressure  of  the 
water  in  the  boat  might  show  itself,  higher  or  lower, 
according  to  the  depth  the  boat  might  be  at.  By  this 
arrangment  I  could  have  the  paddles,  which  were  more 
like  a  set  of  large-teethed  combs  than  paddles,  dip  just 
such  distance  into  the  water  as  I  desired.  This  wheel  was 
connected  by  series  of  light  wheels  to  the  drum  of  the 
treadmill,  so  that  I  could  obtain  many  revolutions  of  the 
water-wheel  to  one  of  the  latter.  My  idea  was  this.  By 
violent  motion  of  the  extreme  ends  of  my  comb-paddles 
through  the  water  I  intended  to  throw  up  into  the  inte 
rior  of  the  boat  a  mass  of  minute  spray,  that  in  that  form 
would  itself  release  the  oxygen  that  it  contained,  or  at 
least  a  large  part  of  it,  and  grant  to  my  exhausted  air  the 
vitality  it  needed  by  new  oxygen,  or  the  life-sustaining 


AIR,   COMPASS,   AND   LIGHT.  221 

principle,  and  at  the  same  time  precipitate  the  carbonic 
acid  that  the  used-up  atmosphere  might  contain.  By  this 
simple  contrivance  I  intended  to  renew  my  air,  and  thus 
remain  just  as  long  below  the  surface  as  I  might  desire. 
The  test  that  I  should  have  that  my  air  was  becoming 
impure  would  be  the  dimness  with  which  the  candles 
would  burn,  with  which  I  was  to  furnish  the  boat ;  and  if 
after  the  use  of  the  spray-wheel  they  again  flashed  up 
brilliantly,  I  should  know  that  my  theory  was  correct. 

I  had  only  one  more  thing  to  make  to  complete  the 
whole  affair,  and  that  was  a  compass,  which,  having  fin 
ished,  I  took  within  the  boat  to  see  and  note  its  vari 
ations  from  the  true  north  on  account  of  the  attraction  of 
the  iron,  and  to  regulate  it  so  that  I  might  be  aware 
always  of  my  true  course,  for  upon  the  exactitude  of  this 
instrument  rested  the  responsibility  of  my  ever  again 
reaching  land  should  I  dare  to  go  out  into  the  ocean,  sup 
posing  that  the  boat  should  work  according  to  my  desires 
and  theory. 

For  light  I  had  nothing  but  the  light  contained  in  the 
water  and  my  candles.  I  could  only  pass  from  spot  to 
spot  by  compass  alone,  and  in  case  of  utmost  disaster 
plunge  into  the  water  within  my  own  boat  and  try  to 
reach  the  surface  by  coming  up  outside.  It  was  not  my 
intention  to  propel  the  boat  near  the  bottom  but  only 
when  near  the  surface.  When  near  the  bottom  a  turn  or 
two  of  the  propeller  would  send  me  in  any  needed  di 
rection. 


222  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

A  few  blocks  of  iron  to  place  upon  ray  hanging  shelves, 
and  four  anchors  with  strong  rawhide  hawsers,  completed 
the  appurtenances  of  the  boat,  and  it  was  finished.  By 
examination  of  my  diary  I  found  that  I  had  been  just 
nine  months  and  eleven  days  in  completing  it  from  the 
day  I  had  started  to  work  upon  the  ways. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Launch  the  submarine  boat.    Experiment  with  it  in  Stillwater  Cove. 

HAVING  completely  finished  and  arranged  my  boat,  my 
next  task  was  to  launch  it  and  arrange  for  a  series  of 
experiments  to  ascertain  its  practical  value.  So  one  fine 
morning  I  went  forth,  with  a  beating  heart,  from  the  Her 
mitage,  and  waited  patiently  till  nearly  high  water,  and 
having  greased  my  launching  ways,  and  confined  the  cra- 
clle  with  a  long  and  strong  rope  of  rawhide,  so  that  its 
momentum,  when  launched,  should  not  carry  it  across 
Stillwater  Cove  without  being  checked  before  it  reached 
the  other  side,  I,  with  anxiety  and  almost  fear,  withdrew 
the  iron  bolts  in  front  of  it  on  the  ways,  and,  going  to 
the  upper  end,  applied  a  crowbar  to  the  still  stationary 
mass,  and  after  a  few  motions  of  the  bar  it  began  to  move, 
and  with  one  grand  rush,  not  very  fast,  and  yet  majestic 
and  striking,  the  cradle,  with  its  precious  freight,  dashed 
into  the  water,  and,  being  brought  up  by  the  long  rope  of 
rawhide  fast  to  it,  in  a  moment  or  two  rested  quietly  upon 
its  bosom. 

I  took  the  canoe  "  Fairy  "  and  paddled  all  about  it  and 
saw  that  it  sat  well  balanced,  and  secure,  and  that  it 

223 


224  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

floated  beautifully.  I  then  made  fast  to  it  with  a  short 
piece  of  rawhide  rope,  and  commenced  towing  it  to  the 
mouth  of  Stillwater  Cove,  where  the  water  was  deep  but 
smooth,  to  still  further  carry  on  my  experiments.  It  was 
a  good  hard  day's  work  to  tow  the  heavy  cradle  to  the 
place  that  I  had  fixed  upon,  which  was  at  the  mouth  of 
Stillwater  Cove,  just  within  the  breakwater,  and  about  one 
mile  beyond  the  landing-place  and  two  or  three  miles 
from  the  Hermitage.  This  place  was  admirably  fitted  for 
my  purposes,  the  shore  being  of  a  smooth  sand  and  the 
water  gradually  deepening  towards  the  centre  of  the  cove. 
Nothing  but  clear,  pure  sea-sand  on  the  bottom,  and  no 
rock  to  injure  the  boat  or  interfere  with  any  experiment  I 
might  choose  to  make.  Having  arrived,  I  was  glad  to 
anchor  the  whole  concern  safely,  and  to  make  my  way 
home  in  the  canoe. 

The  next  day,  fitted  out  with  all  I  thought  I  should 
need,  including  my  two  goats  for  the  treadmill  and  pro 
visions  for  a  day  or  two,  I  made  my  way  back  again  in 
the  canoe  to  the  floating  cradle.  I  found  everything  all 
right,  as  I  had  left  it,  and  proceeded  to  prove  the  practical 
efficiency  of  my  invention.  In  the  first  place  I  took  the 
goats  on  shore  and  tethered  them,  so  that  they  could  feed, 
but  not  escape.  I  then  went  to  work  and  anchored  the 
cradle  in  about  twelve  feet  of  water,  it  then  being  nearly 
low  tide,  or  slack  water.  After  having  secured  both  it 
and  the  boat  also,  I  went  to  work  sawing  off  the  slats  of 
the  cradle  upon  which  the  latter  rested,  and  in  less  than 


THE   LAUNCH    COMPLETED.  225 

two  hours  the  last  one  was  off,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  my  boat  floating  in  the  water,  drawing  only  a 
few  inches,  certainly  not  over  six,  with  the  manhole  open, 
sustained  wholly  by  the  confined  air  in  the  tanks,  which 
held  up  the  superstructure  bravely.  After  the  slats  were 
cut  away  I  drove  out  the  pins  from  the  mortised  frame 
work  of  the  cradle  and  left  my  iron  boat  floating  calmly 
on  the  bosom  of  the  smooth  waters  of  Stillwater  Cove. 
Floating  the  timbers  to  one  side  that  had  formed  the  cra 
dle,  I  allowed  them  to  drift  up  stream  with  the  now 
incoming  tide,  the  boat  being  securely  anchored  by  two 
anchors,  one  in  advance  and  one  at  the  stern,  which  were 
made  fast  to  two  ringbolts  on  the  roof,  placed  at  each 
extremity. 

And  now  for  my  final  test.  I  had  made  up  my  mind,  if 
the  thing  was  not  a  success,  that  I  did  not  intend  to  be 
personally  implicated  in  any  disaster.  Two  things  only 
could  happen  ;  one,  that  the  boat  might  capsize,  and  if  so 
I  was  prepared  to  go  on  board  with  little  clothing,  so  that 
if  it  vomited  me  up  I  could  easily  reach  the  surface  and 
then  swim  ashore,  which  was  distant  only  a  few  rods;  the 
other,  that  I  should  be  unable  to  improve  my  air,  once 
vitiated  or  used  up.  In  the  latter  event  I  had  only  to 
dive  out  from  under  the  boat  and  again  make  my  way  to 
the  shore,  losing,  however,  the  lives  of  my  poor  goats. 

I  commenced  my  work  by  going  on  board  of  the  boat 
by  means  of  a  short  ladder,  which  reached  from  the  man 
hole  to  the  deck  beneath.  In  the  first  place  I  shipped  or 


226  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

hung  the  wooden  shelves  on  each  of  the  tanks,  and  load  CM! 
them  with  several  iron  weights,  and  also  large  smooth 
stones  and  the  two  anchors  that  belonged  to  the  boat. 
This  made  it  very  firm,  and  sunk  the  tanks  at  least  two 
inches  more.  I  then  went  on  shore  and  brought  off  my 
Gloats  in  the  canoe  and  passed  them  on  board  through  the 
manhole,  which  I  had  made  large  for  this  very  purpose. 
I  then  went  to  work  in  the  interior  and  fixed  my  compass, 
steering-gear,  treadmill,  and  propeller,  taking  great  care 
to  see  that  my  spray- wheel  was  all  in  order,  and  at  hand 
ready  to  be  hung. 

I  also  conveyed  on  board  some  candles,  flint  and  steel, 
matches,  and  provisions,  and  as  the  last  thing  took  in  the 
stern  anchor,  so  that  the  boat  lay  with  the  tide,  tailing  up 
stream.  The  other  hawser  I  conveyed  also  —  by  means  of 
the  canoe  and  with  a  boathook  —  under  the  forward  tank, 
so  that  I  held  the  end  within  the  interior,  and  could  cast 
it  off  at  anytime.  It  was  by  the  sun  about  eleven  o'clock 
when  I  gave  one  glance  around  me,  and,  standing  on  the 
last  round  of  the  ladder,  I  drew  the  manhole  cover  over 
my  head  and  commenced  screwing  it  down  on  the  inside, 
which  having  done  I  lighted  several  candles,  although 
I  had  a  fair  light  reflected  from  the  water  and  the 
bottom  of  the  cove,  formed  of  white  sea-sand,  directly 
beneath  me,  and  distant,  I  should  judge  by  the  state  of 
the  tide,  some  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet.  My  goats  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  the  boat  that  they  showed  little 
surprise  at  the  rather  dim  light,  and  stood  ready  to  per- 


AN  EXCITING   EXPERIMENT.  227 

form  their  part  whenever  I  should  put  them  to  their  cus 
tomary  task. 

My  heart  beat  rapidly,  not  with  fear,  but  with  excite 
ment  and  expectation.  Here  I  was,  already  shut  out 
from  the  outer  air,  and  in  a  little  world  of  my  own.  I 
hesitated  to  complete  my  experiment,  and  before  going 
further  I  turned  to  my  provisions  and  took  a  good  long 
drink  of  claret  wine  to  strengthen  my  courage  and  steady 
my  nerves.  If  I  was  in  a  scrape  I  could  get  out  of  it, 
but  my  poor  goats !  they,  I  was  afraid,  would  have  to  pay 
for  any  error  in  judgment  on  my  part.  Having  regained 
perfect  composure,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  make  the  first 
test  of  the  practical  value  of  my  boat,  and  that  was  to 
see  if  I  could  descend  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  that 
lay  beneath  me.  By  moving  around  I  felt  convinced 
that  my  calculations  about  the  centre  of  gravity  had 
been  correct,  and  I  felt  that  the  boat  would  not  capsize. 
It  was  remarkably  stiff  and  steady,  and  would,  I  felt 
confident,  remain  so  when  submerged.  This  bugbear  was 
already  off  my  mind,  and  gave  me  confidence  to  proceed. 
So,  moving  to  the  place  on  the  starboard  side  where  all 
my  pipes  and  stopcocks  were  congregated,  I  commenced 
by  opening  the  stopcock  of  the  water-pipe,  which,  as  I 
had  foreseen,  brought  no  perceptible  change.  Some  little 
water  rushed  into  the  tanks,  but  only  what  was  sufficient 
to  compress  the  air  to  the  extent  of  the  weight  of  the 
superstructure  of  the  boat.  This  experiment  did  not  sink 
it  one  particle;  its  buoyancy  romained  exactly  the  same, 


228  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

for  the  same  air  remained  in  the  tanks,  although  com 
pressed,  and  was  not  able  to  escape  on  account  of  the 
position  of  the  outlet  of  the  pipe  that  had  opened  com 
munication  between  it  and  the  water,  pointing,  as  it  did, 
directly  to  the  centre  of  the  earth.  After  waiting  a  little, 
and  seeing  that  this  all  worked  well,  I  placed  my  hand 
upon  the  stopcock  of  a  more  important  pipe,  namely  the 
tank  air-pipe,  which  led  from  the  tanks  to  the  outer  surface 
of  the  superstructure. 

Now,  or  never !  Upon  turning  this  cock  I  should  de 
scend  or  my  theory  would  be  incorrect.  The  moment  my 
hand  opened  this  valve  the  air  would  be  expelled  by  the 
pressure  of  the  boat  upon  the  water,  conveyed  to  the  air 
in  the  tanks  by  the  water-pipe,  which  was  already  open ; 
and,  as  it  was  expelled,  so  the  buoyancy  of  the  boat  would 
be  decreased,  and  I  should  descend.  The  fatal  moment 
had  come,  and  with  a  firm  hand  I  opened  the  tank  air- 
pipe,  and  plainly  heard  the  escaping  air,  the  incoming 
water,  and  felt  the  boat  descending,  and  saw  the  sandy 
bottom  apparently  approaching  me.  I  cut  off  the  discharge 
of  the  tank  air-pipe,  and  with  a  slight  rebound  the  boat 
arose  again  a  few  inches  towards  the  surface,  simply  re 
gaining  its  true  position  in  equilibrio,  that  it  had  for  a  mo 
ment  passed,  by  the  momentum  of  its  descent.  By  little1 
turns  of  this  stopcock  I  discovered,  as  I  expected,  that  I 
could  move  the  boat  in  a  descending  direction  even  an 
inch  at  a  time.  The  movement  was  a  perfect  fascinntion, 
but  each  delivery  of  air  was  bringing  me  nearer  the  bot- 


TESTING    HEK    BUOYANCY.  229 

torn,  and  as  yet  I  had  tried  no  means  of  rising  again  to  the 
surface. 

When  I  had  gotten  to  within  about  six  feet  of  the  for 
mer  I  thought  it  time  to  see  if  I  could  again  rise  towards 
the  surface.  I  was  well  aware  that,  having  used  up  this 
air,  it  was  so  much  loss  to  me,  but  I  was  in  hopes  to  be  able 
to  replace  it;  and  even  if  I  could  not  replace  it  to  make 
the  boat  rise  to  near  the  surface  without  it.  I  could  do 
this  in  one  way,  by  casting  overboard  the  anchors  and 
weights  lying  upon  the  wooden  shelves ;  but  this,  if  done 
to  any  great  extent,  might  cause  the  capsizing  of  the  whole 
affair.  No  ;  I  had  a  better  way  than  this,  and  at  it  I  went. 
In  the  first  place  I  closed  the  water-pipe,  and  then,  having 
opened  the  screw-valve  in  the  connected  tanks,  I  screwed 
upon  it  the  pump  and  commenced  discharging  the  water 
from  them  —  that  had  run  in  to  take  the  place  of  the  dis 
charged  air  —  into  the  water  of  the  ocean,  which  formed, 
in  one  sense,  the  interior  flooring  of  my  boat. 

To  make  this  pump  work  I  of  course  opened,  and  left 
open,  the  pump-pipe,  so  that,  the  air  from  the  interior 
rushed  in  and  filled  the  tank  as  fast  as  the  pump  discharged 
the  water,  and  at  each  stroke  of  the  pump,  after  the  first 
few,  the  boat,  as  I  had  hoped,  began  to  rise ;  the  water, 
having  been  just  so  much  ballast  to  carry  it  down,  being 
discharged  by  the  pump,  was  just  so  much  thrown  over 
board  in  weight  to  allow  it  to  rise.  By  persistent  pumping 
I  made  my  boat  rise  quite  near  the  surface,  but  not  to  the 
buoyant  position  it  at  first  maintained,  for  I  had  in  my 


230  PERSEVEKANCE   ISLAND. 

descent  used  up  considerable  of  the  air  in  the  tanks,  which 
I  had  as  yet  not  replaced,  or  rather  what  I  had  used  from 
them  had  been  replaced  from  the  air  of  the  interior  when 
I  pumped  out  the  water,  which  I  could  only  do  by  allowing 
the  connection  between  the  tanks  and  the  interior  to  be 
open,  so  as  to  make  the  pump  work.  In  short  I  had  lost 
just  so  much  buoyancy  as  was  equal  to  the  escaped  air; 
but  still  I  had  been  able  to  make  the  boat  descend  and 
ascend. 

These  experiments  took  me  over  two  hours,  and  I  com 
menced  to  feel  the  need  of  new  air,  and  to  notice  that  my 
candles  began  to  burn  a  little  dimly.  I  was  thus  warned 
that  my  air  was  being  used  up  and  charged  with  carbonic 
gas,  and  that  it  was  time  for  me  to  renew  it.  So  I  un 
screwed  the  pump  and  closed  the  valve,  opened  the  water- 
pipe,  and  placed  my  hand  upon  the  tank  air-pipe  and  pre 
pared  to  descend.  One  effect  I  should  have  noticed  of  my 
loss  of  air,  and  that  was  that  the  water  in  the  interior  of 
the  boat  rose  considerably,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  tanks 
was  now  submerged.  A  few  turns  of  the  stopcock  of  the 
tank  air-pipe  carried  me  near  to  the  bottom,  where  I 
desired  to  be,  to  try  my  last  and  most  important  experi 
ment. 

Arriving  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  bottom  I  rigged 
my  spray-wheel,  and  connected  it  with  the  drum  of  the 
treadmill  and  set  the  goats  at  work.  And  it  was  time,  for 
my  breathing  had  become  oppressive,  and  the  animals 
themselves  seemed  dull  and  frightened.  I  had  waited 


THE    HARDEST    1-MiOJBLEM    SOLVED.  231 

almost  too  long.  My  candles  also  commenced  to  burn 
more  dimly,  and  I  prepared  to  take  my  plunge  into  the 
water  and  come  up  outside  of  the  boat  should  my  experi 
ment  now  fail.  But  wonder  of  wonders !  niy  spray-wheel 
made  but  a  few  revolutions,  dashing  large  quantities  of 
minute  spray  into  the  interior  by  its  rapid  motion,  before 
my  lungs  were  relieved,  the  candles  renewed  their  bril 
liancy,  and  the  goats  recovered  from  the  lassitude  under 
which  they  had  a  moment  before  seemed  to  be  laboring. 

The  problem  was  solved.  I  had  made  my  own  air.  I 
could  remain  belowr  the  surface  as  long  as  I  desired. 
Everything  about  me  was  rather  damp  and  moist  from 
the  dashing  of  spray  about  the  interior,  and  several  of  the 
candles,  that  I  had  not  protected,  were  put  out ;  but  two, 
in  the  extremity  of  the  boat,  were  preserved,  and  now 
that  my  problem  wras  solved  I  did  not  again  light  the  for 
mer,  the  two  remaining  ones  being  all-sufficient.  Arid  in 
fact  I  did  not  need  them ;  my  own  lungs,  I  found,  were 
sufficient  as  a  guide  to  tell  me  in  future  when  to  renew 
the  air.  Still  it  was  fascinating  to  see  these  two  candles 
burning  brilliantly  that  had  but  a  moment  before  been  so 
dim.  The  reflected  light  from  the  pure  sandy  bottom 
just  below  me  was  amply  sufficient  for  all  purposes. 

I  imagined,  by  the  slight  shadow  that  the  boat  cast  on 
the  bottom  beneath,  from  the  brilliant  sun  that  I  knew 
was  shining  overhead,  and  from  counting  up  in  my  mind 
all  I  had  done  since  leaving  the  surface,  that  the  air  had 
lasted  me,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  two  hours;  and  that 


232  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

seemed  to  be  the  extreme  limit  to  which  I  could  go  and 
not  renew  it.  I  also  knew  by  the  quantity  of  tallow  con 
sumed  in  the  candles  that  it  must  be  nearly  that  amount 
of  time.  I  also  noticed  that  the  spray-wheel  had  not  only 
purified  my  air,  but  that  whilst  it  was  in  operation  the 
boat  had  slightly  ascended,  proving  that  I  had  gained  a 
lighter  gas  for  the  nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid  precipitated. 
One  more  thing  remained  to  be  tested,  and  I  should 
feel  that  my  labors  were  complete.  In  the  first  place  I 
made  the  boat  ascend  as  far  as  possible,  by  means  of  the 
pump  and  stopcocks,  as  before  described,  and  then  I  went 
to  work  and  rigged  my  propeller  and  set  the  goats  at  work. 
I  got  the  boat  as  near  the  surface  as  possible  before  com 
municating  motion  to  it,  so  as  not  to  run  against  any 
obstacle  if  possible.  But  then  the  body  of  water  in  which 
I  was  submerged  was  so  pure,  and  free  from  anything  of 
that  nature,  that  there  was  little  danger  after  all.  With 
a  feeling  of  confidence  that  I  had  not  had  in  all  the  other 
experiments,  I  cast  off  the  hawser  affixed  to  the  anchor 
that  held  the  boat,  and  started  the  goats.  Mechanics  did 
not  trouble  me,  and  it  Avas  with  no  surprise,  but  only 
gratification,  that  I  saw  by  the  bottom  that  the  boat  was 
moving  forward,  and  that  it  readily  obeyed  the  helm.  I 
turned  it  completely  around  by  the  tiller,  and  made  an 
excursion  of  fully  half  a  mile,  I  should  think,  up  Still- 
water  Cove,  once  in  a  while  getting  out  of  the  channel, 
when  by  stopping  the  goats  and  reversing  the  propeller  I 
was  able  to  back  into  the  channel  again,  and  finally  to  turn 


ON    SHOUE   AGAIN.  233 

around  by  a  series  of  forward  and  backward  motions  till 
I  again  arrived  at  the  place  from  which  I  had  started, 
which  I  knew  by  the  anchor  lying  in  mid-channel.  By 
observation  of  the  bottom  I  should  say  that  the  boat  was 
propelled  at  least  three  miles  an  hour,  which  was  sufficient 
for  all  my  purposes. 

After  arriving  back  to  my  first  position  I  pointed  the 
boat  towards  the  sandy  beach,  and  when  the  hanging 
shelves  touched  the  bottom  I  carefully  removed  them  and 
their  weights  to  the  top  of  the  tanks,  in  the  interior,  and, 
with  a  short  pole,  pushed  the  boat  still  nearer  the  shore, 
till  the  tanks  rested  on  the  sand ;  and  this  I  did  with  care 
and  quickly,  for  I  was  a  little  afraid  of  a  capsize  when  the 
hanging  shelves  were  removed,  which  was  only  for  a  mo 
ment  or  two,  however,  before  the  boat  was  at  rest  on  its 
own  foundations,  on  the  sand.  I  then  forced  down  under 
the  water  from  the  interior  quite  a  large  block  of  wood 
under  the  tank  that  had  the  water  pipe  protruding,  so  that 
the  latter  should  not  be  hurt  by  being  driven  into  the 
sand  when  the  whole  boat  was  stranded  at  low  water. 

The  tide  being  now  at  ebb,  I  knew  that  I  had  not  long 
to  wait  before  the  whole  boat  would  be  high  and  dry  upon 
the  sand.  But  having  gotten  my  piece  of  timber  under 
the  tank  to  protect  the  water  pipe,  I  opened  the  atmos 
pheric  pipe  and  let  the  whole  boat  sink  solidly  to  the  bot 
tom,  in  all  its  parts,  as  well  as  the  forward  part  that  was 
resting  on  the  sand.  I  then  cautiously  opened  the  man 
hole,  ready  to  close  it  immediately  should  it  yet  be  below 


234  PERSEVEKANCE   ISLAND. 

the  surface ;  but,  as  I  supposed,  it  was  out  of  the  water  at 
least  six  inches,  and,  throwing  it  open,  I  once  again 
emerged  into  the  open  air  of  day. 

1  released  the  goats  and  carried  them  on  shore,  and  as 
the  tide  receded  all  the  water  left  my  tanks  through  the 
water  pipe,  which  I  then  closed,  and  there  wras  my  boat 
as  buoyant  again  as  when  it  was  first  launched,  with  all 
the  tanks  full  of  air,  and  ready  to  be  towed  to  an  anchor 
age  as  soon  as  the  next  incoming  tide  should  float  it. 

I  lay  down  upon  the  sea-side  and  contemplated  my  work, 
and  wondered  if  it  would  not  make  me  a  rich  man  if  I 
could  transport  it  to  some  civilized  portion  of  the  earth. 
Was  it  possible  for  me  to  make  a  boat  of  this  kind  on  a 
large  scale,  with  a  team  of  goats,  fifteen  or  twenty  in 
number,  and  traverse  the  depths  of  the  ocean  till  I  arrived 
at  some  Christian  land?  One  thing  at  least  was  in  its 
favor :  I  need  fear  no  storms  or  any  dangers  of  the  ocean 
from  waves  or  wind,  and  one  other  great  obstacle  would 
be  overcome.  I  could  leave  the  helm  at  any  time  and  go 
to  sleep,  feeling  sure  that  my  boat  would  not  be  driven 
about  by  waves  and  winds,  but  repose  peacefully  in  eqi- 
librio  till  I  again  awoke,  and  forced  it  forward  upon  its 
passage. 

There  was  matter  for  great  thought  in  all  this.  But  on 
the  other  hand,  should  my  air  fail  me,  or  my  tanks  leak, 
or  steering  apparatus  get  out  of  order,  I  should  either  be 
stifled  to  death,  drowned,  or  left  beneath  the  ocean  to 
wear  out  a  miserable  existence  till  death  relieved  me, 


LOVE    FOli    MY    ISLAND    HOME.  235 

The  risk  was  too  great.  Besides  I  had  no  means  but  a 
compass  of  ascertaining  where  I  was  going,  no  glass  lens 
to  give  me  any  light;  but  perhaps  I  might  possibly  make 
the  latter.  It  was  all  well  enough  for  me  to  venture  out 
from  my  island  where  at  the  worst  I  could  escape  and 
swim  ashore;  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  spoken,  I  found  my 
self  too  much  in  love  with  my  island,  and  all  its  comforts, 
to  hazard  too  much  to  escape  from  it.  I  cannot  say  that 
I  did  not  long  and  long  to  escape,  and  that  I  did  not 
mourn  for  companionship ;  but  I  must  also  confess  that  I 
had  begun  to  love  my  island  home  also,  in  one  sense,  and 
I  could  see  far  enough  ahead  now  into  the  future  to  ac 
knowledge  to  myself  that,  should  I  escape,  it  would  be  only 
to  return  with  companions  to  here  end  ray  days. 

These  were  different  feelings  than  what  I  had  when 
first  cast  on  the  island,  as  will  readily  be  perceived  by 
perusal  of  this  manuscript,  if  ever,  by  the  mercy  of  God, 
it  comes  to  anybody's  hands  to  read.  But  what  could  I  — 
an  old  sailor,  but  not  an  old  man,  who  had  banged  around 
the  world  —  ask  for  more  than  I  could  obtain  on  my  island 
except  companionship  ?  Nothing. 

Having  secured  the  boat,  and  put  the  goats  and  spare 
traps  into  the  canoe,  I  at  the  close  of  the  day  paddled 
myself  back  to  the  Hermitage,  determined  on  the  morrow 
to  make  an  excursion  out  of  Still  water  Cove  into  the 
ocean,  and  see  what  I  could  discover.  To  be  doubly 
secure  I  made  up  my  mind  to  tow  the  canoe  with  a  long 
rope  of  rawhide  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  astern  of 


236  PEKSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  submarine  boat  below  it,  so  that  if  I  did  meet  with 
disaster  or  shipwreck  I  could  get  into  the  former  and 
make  my  way  to  the  shore  in  safety,  —  in  fact  this  arrange 
ment  would  take  away  all  danger  from  the  enterprise,  as  I 
felt  confident  that  I  could  always  escape  from  the  boat, 
and  it  would  be  well  worth  while  to  have  the  canoe  at 
hand  to  jump  into,  if  I  had  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Explore  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  in  the  vicinity  of  the  island  with  my  sub 
marine  boat.  Discover  pearl-oysters,  and  invent  a  great  improvement  to  my 
boat. 

I  AROSE  early  the  next  day,  and  started  in  my  canoe, 
accompanied  by  my  two  goats,  to  the  mouth  of  Stillwater 
Cove.  It  was  a  beautiful  day,  and  one  just  suited  for  my 
purpose.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  make  my  way  out 
of  the  cove  into  the  open  ocean,  and  along  the  coast  line 
of  the  breakwater,  taking  care,  if  possible,  not  to  get  too 
near  in,  so  as  to  be  troubled  with  the  undertow.  To  enable 
me  to  do  this  I  was  first  obliged  to  land  on  the  breakwater, 
and  with  my  compass  to  lay  out  some  of  the  bearings  and 
directions  of  the  land  and  shore  line  —  so  as  to  be  able 
make  a  kind  of  chart  —  upon  a  piece  of  birch  bark  that  I 
had  brought  for  that  purpose,  to  enable  me  to  find  my  way 
back  into  the  cove,  or,  missing  that,  at  least  to  bring  up 
somewhere  on  the  shores  of  Perseverance  Bay.  Having 
gotten  everything  arranged,  I  went  on  board  of  my  boat, 
which  I  found  floating  and  in  perfect  order,  having  first 
recovered  my  anchor  in  the  stream  and  taken  that  also  on 
board.  Once  in  the  interior  I  shipped  the  hanging  shelves 
and  distributed  the  weights  in  their  usual  places.  My 

237 


238  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

goats  evidently  took  everything  as  a  matter  of  course, 
and  quietly  remained  where  I  had  fastened  them,  near  the 
treadmill.  I  put  my  movable  deck  in  good  order,  saw  that 
my  fresh  water,  provisions,  and  candles  were  all  right,  with 
a  bundle  of  hay  for  the  goats  also.  I  then  carefully  ex 
amined  all  the  stopcocks,  the  steering  apparatus,  and  spray- 
wheel,  and  finding  everything  in  order,  and  a  fine,  sun 
shiny  day  overhead,  I  made  fast  the  "Fairy"  to  a  ringbolt 
on  the  outside  of  the  boat,  and  paid  out  a  long  scope  of 
rawhide  rope,  so  that  I  could  sink  at  least  forty  fathoms 
without  drawing  her  after  me.  Then,  giving  one  more 
look  at  everything,  and  lighting  a  candle  in  case  I  should 
need  one  in  any  emergency,  I  shipped  my  propeller,  at 
tached  the  band  to  the  treadmill,  cast  off  my  moorings, 
started  the  goats,  and  got  under  way,  standing  out  in  a 
westerly  direction  into  the  ocean. 

.  As  soon  as  I  was  clear  of  Point  Deliverance,  and  when 
about  a  hundred  fathoms  seaward  to  the  eastward,  I 
changed  my  course  to  the  northward,  all  this  time  moving 
along  with  the  manhole  wide  open,  out  of  which  I  often 
looked  to  see  how  I  was  proceeding,  and  in  what  direction 
to  steer.  But  I  had  scarcely  got  the  head  of  the  boat  to  the 
eastward  before  a  heavy  sea  broke  all  over  me,  and  came 
dashing  down  the  manhole,  but  did  me  no  harm,  falling 
back,  as  it  did,  in  the  interior,  into  its  own  element.  The 
inside  deck  was  rather  spattered,  to  be  sure,  and  the  goats 
evidently  began  to  be  surprised,  if  not  frightened,  at  the 
motion  of  the  boat,  and  T  saw  that  the  time  had  come  to 


SEAKCH   FOR    RELICS.  239 

submerge  it ;  but  I  kept  on,  for  I  was  determined  to  keep 
above  the  surface,  if  possible,  till  I  found  myself  opposite 
the  place  on  the  breakwater  at  which  I  had  first  been  cast 
on  shore,  and  which  I  well  knew ;  for  it  was  there  that  I 
determined  to  make  my  first  descent,  and  see  if  I  could 
not  find  some  remains  of  the  articles  that  were  in  the 
whaleboat  when  I  was  cast  away.  So  to  keep  out  the 
water  I  closed  the  manhole  cover,  but  once  in  a  while  ran 
up  the  ladder,  opened  it  and  looked  about  me,  till  I  at 
last  found  myself  opposite  the  spot,  and  not  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  distant. 

I  then,  by  a  word,  stopped  the  goats,  and  shut  down  the 
cover  of  the  manhole,  and  screwed  up  the  set-screws, 
opened  the  water-pipe,  and  placed  my  hand  upon  the  air- 
tank  stopcock  and  allowed  some  of  the  air  to  escape.  In 
one  instant  the  boat  that  had  before  been  buffeting  about 
upon  the  billows  was  as  quiet  and  steady  as  a  rock.  I  did 
not  descend  far  before  T  shut  off  the  escape  of  air,  and  sat 
down  to  think.  In  the  first  place  I  saw  that  by  a  series 
of  experiments  I  could  easily,  in  the  future,  tell  just  how 
far  I  was  descending  by  the  rise  of  the  water  inside  of 
the  boat  upon  the  sides  of  the  tanks ;  for,  as  I  descended, 
the  pressure  upon  the  air  was  of  course  increased,  and 
therefore  compressed,  so  that  the  water  rose  higher  within, 
and  nearer  to  the  movable  deck. 

Having  examined  my  compass  I  started  the  goats  again, 
and  made  for  the  outside  of  the  breakwater,  hoping  to 
strike  the  vory  place  where  the  whaleboat  had  formerly 


240  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

been  destroyed.  As  I  advanced  towards  the  shore  I  found 
that  I  was  not  deep  enough  down  to  see  the  bottom,  so  I 
again  descended  till  I  could  plainly  see  it  below  me, 
not  ten  feet  distant.  I  spoke  to  my  goats  and  had  them 
relax  their  speed,  and  moved  slowly  forward.  The  bottom 
laid  out  to  my  view  was  composed  of  sand,  rocks,  and  an 
infinite  variety  of  sea  plants.  How  can  I  expect  to  con 
vey  to  anyone  the  beauties  of  this  submarine  view.  The 
water  —  by  its  transparency  and  the  light  that  I  obtained 
by  reflection  —  could  not  have  been  more  than  six  fathoms 
deep,  and  in  fact  I  knew  that  it  was  in  that  neighborhood, 
for  I  had  often,  in  my  canoe,  been  outside  of  the  break 
water  before,  fishing  and  for  other  purposes,  and  I  knew 
very  nearly  what  water  I  ought  to  have. 

Although  anxious  to  explore  I  could  not  resist  the  temp 
tation  to  stop  and  gaze  upon  the  beauties  that  lay  before 
me,  in  all  their  marvellous  freshness,  unseen  before  by  the 
eves  of  mortal  man  since  their  creation  by  the  Almighty. 
Many  of  the  plants  before  me,  that  seemed  like  sparkling 
gems,  I  knew  well  would  look  so  only  as  they  now  stood, 
in  their  native  garden,  surrounded  by  water,  and  that,  taken 
from  the  element  or  cast  on  shore,  would  fade  ten  times 
quicker  than  any  land  plant.  Fishes  of  various  sizes 
darted  in  every  direction,  and  simply  to  please  my  own 
conceit  I  deliberately  dropped  a  line  amongst  them  and 
captured  several,  which  I  again  allowed  to  escape.  But 
even  in  my  own  solitude  I  could  not  help  smiling  at  the 
idea  of  a  mortal  man  sailing  alon^  at  the  bottom  of  the 


A    NEW    WORLD.  241 

ocean  and  capturing  its  denizens  at  his  leisure,  —  the  thing- 
was  too  comical. 

Although  I  had  stopped  the  goats,  my  boat  still  had  a 
motion,  or  rather  I  should  say  that  I  could  see  that  the 
tide  was  drifting  it  sideways  to  the  northwest,  but  very 
slowly,  not  more  than  a  knot  an  hour.  I  think  that  I 
could  have  sat  hours  and  looked  upon  this  scene.  It  was 
like  a  new  world  opening  up  before  me.  Everything  was 
plain,  for  no  ripple  blurred  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the 
interior  of  my  boat,  and  no  wind  of  heaven  rushed  over 
it  to  destroy,  for  a  moment  even,  its  transparency.  It  was 
as  still  and  motionless  as  death,  and  as  quite  large  rocks 
and  new  objects  seemed  to  pass  by  below  me,  I  was 
sometimes  startled  at  their  beauty  and  grandeur.  It  was 
a  panorama.  I  seemed  to  be  stationary,  fixed,  as  immov 
able  as  the  foundations  of  the  earth ;  and  these  objects 
passed  in  review  before  me  exactly  as  if  moving  along  in 
space.  It  was  difficult  to  disabuse  my  mind  of  the  fact 
that  I  was  not  stationary,  but  that  the  objects  upon  which 
I  was  gazing  were.  This  feeling  was  increased  in  a  marked 
degree  by  the  absolute  stillness  and  want  of  motion,  in 
itself,  of  my  submarine  boat. 

I  hated  to  break  in  upon  this  deathlike  silence  by  the 
motion  of  my  propeller,  but  I  was  being  swept  by  the  tide 
slowly  away  from  my  destination,  and  it  would  not  do  to 
proceed  too  far,  so  as  to  lose  the  true  course  by  compass. 
Reluctantly  then  I  spoke  to  my  goats  and  put  the  boat  in 
motion,  and  proceeded  upon  my  way.  I  had  not  advanced 


242  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

far  when  I  perceived  that  I  was  entering  a  perfect  forest 
of  submarine  plants  and  kelp,  the  long  tendrils  of  which, 
sustained  by  the  water,  reached  upwards  towards  the  sur 
face.  I  saw  that  I  was  upon  dangerous  ground,  and  there 
fore  stopped  the  treadmill  and  reversed  my  propeller,  and 
backed  out  from  my  position.  I  then  rigged  my  pump 
and  made  the  boat  ascend  so  as  to  pass  over  their  heads, 
and  again  forced  the  boat  towards  the  breakwater, 
but  this  time  I  found  that  I  was  getting  into  the 
undertow,  and  the  forest  beneath  me  warned  me  not  to 
descend ;  so  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  back  out  seaward 
and  give  up  all  idea  of  exploring  the  place  of  my  ship 
wreck. 

When  I  had  pushed  back  so  as  to  be  clear  of  the  tangled 
plants  that  seemed  to  surround  the  margin  of  the  island  on 
this  side,  I  commenced  again  to  descend,  and  allowed  the 
boat  to  rest  within  a  few  feet  of  the  bottom,  and,  rigging 
my  spray-wheel,  went  to  work  to  renew  and  purify  my 
air,  which  T  had  no  difficulty  in  doing.  I  then  moved 
about  in  different  directions,  taking  care  all  the  time  to 
keep  a  reckoning  by  my  compass  of  the  courses  sailed  and 
the  distances  passed  over,  by  dead  reckoning.  During  one 
of  my  stationary  moments  T  had  a  complete  view  of  MS 
large  a  shark  as  I  have  ever  seen.  He  passed  directly  be 
neath  me,  and  took  no  more  notice  of  the  boat  than  if  it 
had  been  a  stationary  rock.  Tie  was  at  least  sixteen  feet 
in  length,  and  wrould  have  made  but  a  mouthful  of  poor 
me. 


SOUNDING   UPWARDS.  243 

I  wish  that  I  could  describe  the  sights  that  I  saw.  It 
seemed  as  if  I  was  in  another  world,  and  had  passed  from 
this  existence  to  one  more  advanced,  in  which  I  floated  in 
space.  The  extreme  silence  of  all  about  me,  and  the  rigid- 
ness  of  all  objects  seen,  was  very  striking.  At  each  mo 
ment  some  beautiful  fish  or  plant  struck  my  view,  of  which 
I  had  never  before  had  any  knowledge.  I  moved  about 
in  all  directions,  trying  to  find,  if  possible,  some  bank  of 
pearl-oysters,  and  I  had  a  good  idea  of  how  they  ought  to 
look,  for  I  had  once,  in  my  younger  days,  descended  with 
the  divers  in  the  East  Indies  to  the  pearl-oyster  beds,  and 
knew  the  whole  practical  science  of  the  business.  At  last, 
at  a  point  by  compass  and  dead-reckoning  about  northeast 
from  Point  Deliverance,  and  distant  two  miles,  I  came 
upon  what  I  wanted,  —  or  rather  what  I  hoped  was  what  I 
wanted,  —  namely,  a  perfect  bank  of  oysters,  in  thousands, 
clustered  together.  My  first  act  was,  after  stopping  the 
boat,  to  throw  over  a  light  anchor,  tt)  hold  it  in  position  ; 
the  next  to  cast  into  the  water  a  small  grapnel,  to  which 
was  attached  a  long  piece  of  rawhide  rope,  fully  forty 
fathoms  in  length,  ending  in  a  wooden  buoy,  shaped  like 
a  tenpin  in  a  bowling-alley,  and  of  about  the 'same  size. 
This,  after  dropping  the  grapnel,  by  means  of  a  short  boat- 
hook  I  thrust  under  the  tank  of  the  boat,  and  saw  it  rap 
idly  take  up  the  spare  line  as  it  ascended  towards  the 
surface.  And  as  it  was  so  ascending  it  flashed  upon  me 
that  here  was  also  a  practical  way  of  determining  at  all 
times  the  depth  of  water;  for  this  buoy  only  took  out 


244  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

about  seven  or  eight  fathoms  of  the  line  before  it  became 
stationary,  evidently  having  reached  the  surface.  I  used 
this  buoy  to  anchor  the  reef,  so  as  to  be  able  to  find  it  in 
future  trips,  when  I  had  only  to  stand  out  towards  it,  on 
pleasant  days,  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and,  when  I 
found  it,  descend  and  find  myself  on  the  reef. 

And  for  measurement  of  my  depth  below  the  surface  I 
had  only,  in  future,  to  fasten  a  light,  buoyant  piece  of 
wood  to  a  small  cord,  marked  off  into  fathoms,  which  I 
could  at  any  time  thrust  under  the  tanks  and  allow  to 
ascend  to  the  surface,  and  note  how  many  of  the  fathoms 
of  line  were  taken  up,  which  would  denote  my  depth 
belowr  the  surface,  and  then  draw  my  sounding-buoy  back 
again  into  the  boat  for  further  use,  simply  reversing  the 
method  that  is  used  on  shipboard.  That  is  to  say,  instead 
of  throwing  a  lead  with  a  marked  line  to  the  bottom  of 
the  ocean,  I  threw  a  buoy  to  the  surface.  Nature  seemed 
to  be  capsized,  and  everything  upside  down,  as  used  to 
appear  in  using  the  inverted  telescope  in  my  first  attempts 
to  take  the  altitude  of  the  sun  with  a  sextant.  If  I  had 
not  lived  so  solitary  a  life  I  could  have  laughed  at  many 
of  the  things  that  befel  me  in  this  submarine  boat. 

Having  gotten  the  boat  securely  anchored,  and  the  buoy 
thrown  out  as  I  have  related,  I  went  to  work  gathering 
the  oysters.  T  had  taken  care  to  bring  with  me  a  light 
pickaxe,  a  crowbar,  and  a  sort  of  hand-rake,  similar  to 
ones  used  by  East  %  Indian  divers,  which  I  proceeded  to 
employ  upon  the  mass  of  oysters  below  me.  I  had  no 


GATHERING    PEARL    OYSTERS.  245 

difficulty  in  detaching  all  I  wanted  of  them,  and  filling 
my  decks,  and  particularly  the  hanging  shelves,  which  I 
relieved  of  their  stones  and  weights,  replacing  them  by 
masses  of  the  oysters.  I  made  a  long  job  of  this,  and, 
having  gotten  all  I  desired,  I  drew  up  my  anchor  and  got 
again  under  way,  ascending  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
surface  before  advancing  towards  the  land.  During  all 
this  time,  whenever  necessary,  I  had  renewed  my  air  by 
use  of  the  spray- wheel. 

Being  near  the  surface,  which  I  was  made  aware  of  in 
several  ways,  such  as  the  increased  light,  the  disappear 
ance  of  the  bottom  from  view,  and  a  slight  noise  of  the 
waves  above  me,  and  a  little  motion  of  the  boat,  caused 
by  their  agitation,  I  put  the  goats  at  full  speed,  feeling 
sure  that  for  at  least  two  miles  nothing  was  in  my  way. 
After  I  had,  as  I  calculated,  gone  this  distance,  I  slowed 
down,  and  proceeded  more  cautiously;  but  after  an  hour's 
work  I  made  no  land,  nor  found  any  great  shallowing  of 
the  water.  Here  was  a  pretty  scrape.  By  my  chart  I 
was  past  Stillwater  Cove,  and  even  in  the  interior  of  the 
island,  and  not  a  sign  of  the  land  or  shallow  water  could 
I  find.  I  began  to  be  seriously  troubled,  and  I  foresaw 
that  unless  I  soon  made  some  shallow  water  I  should  be 
obliged  to  dive  under  my  tanks,  and  look  about  me  and 
see  where  I  was.  But  before  I  did  this  I  descended  and 
anchored,  and  found  out  for  the  first  time  that  I  was  at 
last  in  a  strong  current,  setting  towards  the  westward. 
This  frightened  me  still  more,  and  I  ascended  at  once, 


246  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

stripped  off  the  little  clothing  that  I  had  on,  and  plunged 
into  the  water  and  came  up  buoyant  as  a  cork  on  the 
surface,  and  pulled  the  canoe  towards  me  and  got  into  it 
without  much  effort.  One  glance  showed  me  what  the 
trouble  was.  I  had  gradually,  during  the  whole  day,  drifted 
to  the  westward,  and  had  passed  West  Signal  Point,  and 
was,  in  the  direction  I  was  pursuing,  leaving  the  island  on 
the  port  hand,  behind  me.  One  glance  in  the  open  all- 
cleared  my  brain,  and  gave  me  a  true  idea  of  where  I  was, 
for  I  confess  that  the  many  courses  that  I  had  sailed 
beneath  the  surface  had  rather  confused  me. 

Taking  one  more  good  look  about  me,  I  plunged  into 
the  sea  under  my  tanks,  and  was  again  inside  my  boat, 
which  I  speedily  started  in  the  right  direction,  and  in  less 
than  two  hours  made  shallow  water,  when  I  once  more  had 
to  dive  out  of  the  boat  and  look  about  me,  when  I  found 
that  I  had  made  a  pretty  good  landfall,  as  I  was  in  Perse 
verance  Bay,  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
mouth  of  Still  water  Cove,  having  overrun  it ;  and  as  I  was 
so  near  home  I  dove  back  again,  started  the  goats,  and 
soon  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  myself  in  the  cove,  some 
part  of  the  bottom  of  which  I  already  recognized ;  and  I 
foresaw  that  if  I  should  make  many  trips  I  should  be  able 
to  recognize  the  bottom  just  as  easily  as  one  recognizes 
familiar  objects  on  land. 

I  stranded  my  boat  in  the  usual  manner,  and  waited  for 
the  tide,  which  was  now  at  an  ebb,  to  leave  the  top  exposed, 
for  the  buoyancy  of  the  boat  was  not  very  great  from  my 


DISCO  VEBING   THE   PEARLS.  247 

frequent  use  of  the  air-tank  stopcock.  During  this  time 
I  busied  myself  in  casting  the  oysters  to  the  bottom,  and 
then  moving  the  boat,  which  was  thus  lightened,  a  little 
to  one  side,  so  that,  when  the  tide  returned,  the  former 
would  be  exposed  clear  of  the  boat.  I  then  unshipped  the 
movable  shelves  and  put  everything  in  order  in  the  inte 
rior,  and  sat  down  and  ate  a  hearty  meal,  after  which  I 
tried  the  manhole,  which,  by  the  pressure  of  the  tanks 
upon  the  sand,  I  felt  confident  was  above  the  surface,  which 
proved  to  be  the  fact.  I  soon  had  the  goats  ashore,  who 
seemed  to  be  glad  to  escape  from  the  confinement  of  the 
boat,  and  gambolled  about  me.  I  waited  patiently  for  the 
tide  to  go  down  far  enough  for  me  to  get  at  my  oysters, 
which  I  conveyed  to  the  land,  above  high-water  mark,  and, 
sitting  down,  commenced  with  my  knife  to  open  one  or 
two  of  them.  I  think  it  was  the  third  that  I  was  opening 
wrhen  my  knife-blade  struck  against  something  that  made 
my  heart  beat.  I  laid  open  the  oyster,  and  there  within 
it,  nestled  near  to  the  upper  shell,  was  as  beautiful  and 
perfect  a  pearl  as  anyone  could  desire  to  see.  It  was  not 
very  large,  —  perhaps  the  size  of  a  common  pea,  —  but  of  a 
pure  cream  color,  and  of  perfect  oval  form.  I  knew  at 
once  that  it  was  a  jewel  of  value  and  price,  and  I  care 
fully  hid  it  away  in  my  clothing.  This  prize  sufficed 
me.  It  proved  to  me  the  importance  of  my  discovery, 
and  I  was  determined  that  the  sun  should  do  the  re 
mainder  of  the  work  for  me,  and  therefore  left  the  oysters 
where  they  lay,  to  be  made  putrid  by  exposure,  when 


248  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  pearls  that  they  might  contain  could  be  very  easily 
washed  out. 

I  was  not  wholly  satisfied  with  my  boat.  I  did  not  like 
the  idea  of  having  to  dive  overboard  to  find  out  where  I 
was,  as  I  had  had  to  to-day,  and  I  commenced  racking  my 
brains  to  overcome  it;  and  at  last  I  accomplished  it  in 
theory,  and  it  may  be  as  well  to  state  here  that  it  served 
me  perfectly  when  put  in  practice  on  many  future  occa 
sions,  and  in  fact  almost  took  the  place  of  the  spray-wheel. 
It  was  this.  I  arranged,  in  the  first  place,  a  sort  of  air- 
boat,  in  the  shape  of  the  half  shell  of  an  English  walnut, 
but  shallower,  nearly  four  feet  in  length.  This  boat  was 
made  of  very  thin  sheet-iron,  but  perfectly  airtight,  and 
upon  it  was*  lashed,  in  a  horizontal  position,  a  cylinder  of 
sheet-iron,  closed  at  one  end  and  open  at  the  other,  a  foot 
in  diameter,  and  in  length  the  same  as  the  shallow,  air 
tight,  walnut-shaped  boat  that  sustained  it.  At  the  end 
of  this  boat,  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  cylinder,  was 
affixed  a  solid  iron  ring,  and  to  this  was  spliced  a  strong- 
rawhide  rope  of  great  length.  To  utilize  this  machine  I 
made  two  long  bars  of  iron,  which  I  could  arrange  in  the 
interior  of  the  boat,  across  its  greatest  diameter,  in  the 
form  of  the  letter  V,  pointing  downwards  towards  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  at  the  point  of  contact  was  ar 
ranged  a  block  through  which  the  rope  attached  to  the 
air-boat  could  be  rove.  This  inverted  derrick,  in  the  form 
of  a  letter  V,  was  still  further  braced  by  another  bar, 
leading  to  one  of  the  short  diameters  of  the  boat,  in  the 


A   SUPPLY    OF    FRESH    AIR.  249 

interior,  forming  a  tripod.  To  use  the  air-boat  I  had  only 
(at  any  time  when  beneath  the  surface  and  in  need  of  air, 
either  to  purify  that  surrounding  me  or  obtain  enough  to 
force  the  boat  out  of  water  on  the  surface,  after  having 
used  up  the  air  in  the  tanks)  to  reeve  the  rawhide  rope 
through  the  derrick,  as  above,  and  erect  the  same  in  an 
inverted  form,  pointing  towards  the  bottom,  and  then  put 
the  air-boat  in  the  water  in  the  interior  of  the  submarine 
boat,  force  it  bodily  down  in  a  horizontal  manner  till  the 
cylinder  was  filled  with  water,  and  then  start  the  goats  so 
that  the  rope  attached  to  the  nose  of  the  air-boat,  leading 
down  to  the  inverted  apex  of  the  tripod,  through  the 
block,  and  thence  to  the  drum  of  the  treadmill,  would  be 
tautened,  and  cause  it  to  erect  itself  in  a  perpendicular 
manner,  and  be  forced  down  under  the  water  towards  the 
j'.;»ox  of  the  tripod.  When  submerged  enough  to  clear 
the  bottom  of  the  tank  I  slackened  the  rope  gradually, 
pressing  it  at  the  same  time  out  and  clear  from  the  tank, 
and  yet  keeping  enough  strain  upon  it  to  prevent  its 
touching  the  latter ;  when,  as  soon  as  it  was  clear,  I  slacked 
the  rope  wholly,  to  allow  it  to  arise  to  the  surface  outside, 
which  it  rapidly  did  on  account  of  the  confined  air  in  the 
air-tight  shell.  Of  course  immediately  upon  its  arrival  at 
the  surface  it  righted  itself,  and  presented  the  appearance, 
on  a  small  scale,  of  a  barrel  with  one  head  out,  placed  in 
a  horizontal  position  upon  a  small  sled  or  vessel.  In  this 
position  all  the  water  that  had  been  in  the  cylinder  was  at 
once  discharged,  and,  to  get  a  measure  of  fresh  air  exactly 


250  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

equal  to  the  dimensions  of  this  cylinder,  I  had  only  to  set 
the  goats  to  work,  to  take  the  rope  to  the  drum  of  the" 
treadmill,  the  first  effect  of  which  was  to  depress  the  nose 
and  open  mouth  of  the  cylinder  on  the  air-boat,  at  the  sur 
face,  and  the  next  to  drag  it  down  under  the  water  in  a 
perpendicular  position,  with  the  cylinder  charged  with  air, 
which  could  not  escape.  As  soon  as  it  appeared  clear  of 
the  outside  of  the  tank,  against  which  it  rubbed  in  its 
descent,  and  was  brought  down  near  to  the  inverted 
apex  of  the  tripod,  I  commenced  slacking  the  same  rope 
till  it  arrived  at  the  surface  of  the  water  within  the  sub 
marine  boat,  when  I  cast  off  the  rope  and  it  righted  itself 
violently,  discharging  at  the  same  time  the  contents  of 
the  cylinder  in  the  shape  of  new  air,  and  I  had  only  to 
repeat  this  process  of  conveying  fresh  air  from  the.  surface 
to  obtain  all  I  needed,  taking  care  only,  in  sending  the 
apparatus  to  the  surface,  to  see  that,  when  the  air-boat  was 
first  pointed  tinder  water  ready  to  ascend,  it  took  back 
with  it  none  of  its  precious  freight,  which  was  easily 
obviated  when  it  was  held  in  a  semi-perpendicular  state, 
and  half  submerged  ready  to  ascend,  by  pushing  upon  the 
part  out  of  water  till  it  was  forced  into  a  horizontal  posi 
tion,  the  air  from  the  cylinder  discharged,  and  replaced 
by  water,  when,  after  descending  towards  the  connecting 
points  of  the  tripod  and  pushed  clear  of  the  side  tank,  it 
was  allowed  to  ascend  to  the  surface,  discharge  the  water, 
and  descend  again  filled  with  air. 

With  this  apparatus  I  found  that  I  could  even  compress 


THE   SUBMARINE    BOAT  A   SUCCESS. 


251 


the  air  in  the  interior,  and  in  many  future  expeditions  I 
had  no  trouble  in  making  my  submarine  boat,  at  any  time, 
self-sustaining  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  I  could  by 
a  little  labor  come  to  the  surface,  open  my  manhole,  and 
look  about  me  and  see  where  I  was. 


THE  ALB  BOAT. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Manufacture  glass.    Build  a  steam  yacht,  and  circumnavigate  the  island. 
Lay  up  large  stores  of  valuable  pearls  obtained  from  the  pearl  oysters. 

AFTER  I  had  perfected  my  submarine  boat  I  used  it 
often  to  gather  the  pearl  oysters,  and  it  was  not  difficult 
to  steer  straight  to  the  buoy  on  the  reef,  fill  the  shelves 
of  my  boat,  arise  again  to  the  surface,  and  return  home. 
After  allowing  my  first  load  to  putrify,  I  went  to  work 
upon  them  and  washed  them  out  in  the  water  of  Still- 
water  Cove,  obtaining  nearly  a  handful  of  seed-pearls, 
some  twelve  of  the  size  of  peas,  and  four  very  handsome 
and  perfectly-shaped  larger  ones.  This  induced  me  to 
keep  on  ;  for  here  was  portable  wealth  such  as  I  could 
take  away  with  me  when  I  left  the  island.  Let  it  suffice 
to  say  that,  during  repeated  trips  at  intervals,  I  ended  by 
obtaining  probably  the  finest  private  collection  of  pearls 
in  the  world.  I  had  some  eighteen  of  enormous  size, 
nearly  as  large  as  English  walnuts,  but  as  perfect  as  if  from 
the  turning-lathe,  —  except  one  that  had  a  slight  blemish, 
and  one  that  was  irregular  in  form,  —  and  I  much  doubted 
if  there  were  more  perfect  and  larger  ones  in  any  royal 
crown.  They  were  regal  in  size  and  appearance,  and 
were,  I  knew,  of  immense  value.  Besides  these  sixteen 
252 


HIGH   LIVING.  253 

perfect  gems  without  price,  I  had  at  least  four  hundred 
and  sixty  as  large  as  a  small  filbert  nut,  and  several  hun 
dreds  as  large  as  common  peas,  not  to  speak  of  vast 
quantities  of  seed-pearls,  too  many  to  enumerate.  If  I  could 
escape  from  the  island,  these  treasures  would  keep  me  in 
ease  and  comfort  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

During  the  year  succeeding  the  finishing  of  my  sub 
marine  boat,  I  was  taken  up  with  many  new  inventions 
almost  too  numerous  to  mention.  I  enclosed  another 
large  piece  of  ground  as  a  pasture  for  my  goats,  of  which 
I  had  now  as  many  as  I  chose  to  keep ;  in  fact,  I  loosed 
many  of  the  she-goats  and  kids  into  the  woods  to  return 
to  a  state  of  nature,  having  more  than  I  could  attend  to. 
From  the  remainder  I  made  cheese,  butter,  jerked  meat, 
etc.  It  may  be  possible  that  some  persons  have  lived  as 
well  as  I,  but  at  this  time  I  had  everything  that  could  be 
desired.  I  improved  upon  my  ways  of  preserving  my 
fruits,  and  from  a  ground-nut  that  I  found  on  the  island 
extracted  a  most  delicious  oil,  which  I  used  in  all  my 
cooking.  I  had  by  this  time,  by  repeated  breedings, 
brought  the  wild  quail,  that  I  saw  when  first  arriving 
at  the  island,  to  a  state  of  barnyard  fowl,  and  I  had  their 
delicate  flesh  and  eggs  added  to  my  larder.  From  my 
grapes  I  was  able  to  make  several  kinds  of  pleasant  light 
wines.  In  fact  I  had  everything  but  companionship. 

But  by  my  temperament  I  could  not  keep  still,  so 
I  must  yet  invent  something  new  that  would  be  of  use  to 
me.  What  I  wanted  most  at  this  time  was  glass,  plate- 


254  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

glass  for  my  submarine  boat,  and  I  was  determined  to 
have  it.  So,  with  my  book  to  guide  me,  at  it  I  went. 
I  knew  that  silicic  acid,  practically  glass,  was  represented 
by  sea-sand.  I  also  knew,  or  rather  discovered  from 
perusal  and  study  of  my  book,  that  this  sea-sand,  freed 
from  iron,  formed  the  base  of  glass.  Also  that  silica, 
silicic  acid,  or  oxide  of  silicon  exists  in  great  abundance 
in  nature,  being  the  principal  constituent  in  rock  and 
stone,  and  that  crystal  and  quartz  held  it  in  its  purest 
forms.  This,  combined  with  potash  or  soda,  and  sub 
jected  to  a  powerful  heat,  would,  I  knew,  make  glass,  if 
mixed  in  the  right  proportions. 

In  the  first  place  I  gathered  some  five  or  six  hundred 
pounds  of  the  finest,  purest,  and  wrhitest  sea-sand  that  I 
could  find.  This  I  carefully  washed  in  some  seven  or 
eight  waters  of  Rapid  River,  till  it  was  purified  of  all  its 
salt,  and  then  it  was  placed  in  my  ore-cleansing  kiln,  and 
burned,  or  rather  heated,  to  a  red  heat,  to  get  rid  of  all 
vegetable  matter,  and  then  sifted  through  wire  screens  to 
get  rid  of  any  pieces  of  fuel  with  which  it  might  have 
become  charged.  Having  thus  gotten  my  sand  all  in 
order,  purified,  and  cleansed,  I  went  with  the  goat  team, 
and  a  handy  little  cart  with  cast-iron  wheels  and  frame, 
that  I  had  made  during  odd  times,  to  the  coal  mine,  to 
bring  home  some  of  the  chalk  there  to  be  found,  of  which 
there  were  large  quantities,  and  of  a  fine  quality.  This  I 
brought  home  and  reduced  to  a  fine  powder  by  pounding 
it  up  with  hammers,  and  sifting  it  through  fine  sieves.  I 


GLASSMAKING.  255 

then  went  to  work  and  built  some  large  fires  upon  the 
seaside,  upon  which,  when  in  full  blaze,  I  placed  large 
quantities  of  kelp  or  barilla,  which  was  finally  converted 
into  ashes.  After  I  had  burned  sufficient  of  it,  I  allowed 
the  fires  to  go  out,  and  gathered  the  ashes  carefully,  to 
which  I  added  a  quantity  of  fresh  water  and  stirred  it 
about  carefully,  preserving  the  fluid  in  open  iron  pans, 
which  I  placed  upon  fires  and  evaporated,  and  had  car 
bonate  of  soda  as  the  result ;  and,  although  on  a  desert 
island  where  there  is  supposed  to  be  nothing,  my  book 
informed  me  that  kelp  or  barilla  was  the  best  article  from 
which  to  make  carbonate  of  soda,  and  some  kinds  of  sea- 
sand  the  very  best  base  of  which  to  form  glass.  Having 
thus  procured  the  component  parts  of  which  to  make  my 
glass,  I  set  to  to  make  a  large  clay  pot  in  which  to  fuse 
it,  that  would  fit  in  the  base  of  my  iron-smelting  furnace, 
so  as  to  be  surrounded  by  the  air  blasts.  My  clay  pits 
fitted  me  out  with  this  without  any  trouble,  and  I  then 
had  to  manufacture  a  level  plate  of  iron,  about  two  feet 
square,  with  a  raised  rim  of  some  inch  and  a  half  in  height, 
and  this  I  placed  in  a  horizontal  position  in  front  of  the  door 
of  the  furnace,  and  rigged  above  it  a  large  iron  roller  to 
work  by  machinery,  that  could  be  passed  over  its  face. 
I  then  mixed  my  ingredients  by  hand  in  the  following 
proportions :  — 

Prepared  sand 400  Ibs. 

Carbonate  of  soda 250  " 

Ground  chalk.  30  " 


256  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

and  put  the  empty  clay  pot  into  the  furnace  and  started 
an  immense  fire  around  it.  As  soon  as  it  was  at  a  white 
heat  I  filled  it  with  my  mixture,  placing  it  in  the  pot  by 
means  of  a  long  iron  spoon  some  six  feet  in  length,  pro 
tecting  my  face  with  a  mask  of  goatskin,  and  my  hands 
by  gloves  of  the  same  material.  When  vitrification  was 
complete,  which  took  place  in  about  eighteen  hours,  and 
which  I  ascertained  by  plunging  a  long  rod  of  iron  into 
the  pot,  I  ladled  out  a  lot  of  the  mass  by  means  of  a  clay- 
lined,  long-handled,  iron  ladle,  and  poured  the  rapidly- 
cooling  but  pliable  substance  upon  the  iron  table  con 
structed  for  it,  and,  pressing  the  iron  roller  upon  it  in  all 
its  parts,  soon  rolled  out  a  sheet  of  glass  two  feet  square 
and  at  least  an  inch  and  a  half  thick.  Allowing  this  to 
cool,  I  repeated  the  process  after  removing  it,  till  I  had 
made  six  large  squares.  I  then  changed  the  roller  so  as 
to  come  lower  down  to  the  iron  plate,  and  by  this  method 
commenced  turning  out  sheets  of  plate  glass  two  feet 
square  and  about  one  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  My  task 
was  done.  I  had  all  the  glass  I  should  ever  want  as  long 
as  I  should  live ;  enough  for  the  side  lights  of  my  boat, 
and  also  for  windows  to  the  Hermitage.  Fully  satisfied 
with  my  task,  I  allowed  my  fire  to  go  down,  and  the  lar^e 
slabs  of  glass  to  cool. 

On  the  next  day  I  set  to  work  to  polish  the  glass  I  had 
made,  and  this  I  found  a  laborious  and  slow  task.  But 
it  had  to  be  done,  and  I  commenced  with  fine  pulverized 
and  sifted  sand,  or  rather  quartz,  and  ended  with  chalk. 


PLATE   GLASS.  257 

It  was  many  weeks  before  all  was  done,  for  I  needed 
emery  to  help  me  in  this  task,  and  could  find  none,  and 
had  to  make  other  things  do.  But  at  last  I  had  four  fine 
slabs  of  plate  glass  quite  well  polished  and  clear,  each  two 
feet  square,  and  one  and  a  half  inches  thick;  and  sev 
eral  that  were  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  many 
of  which  I  had  broken  in  attempting  to  polish  them.  The 
latter  were  soon  fitted  into  position  as  window  lights  in 
the  Hermitage,  and  pleasant  enough  they  made  the  inte 
rior  look.  The  former  were  made  to  fit  into  four  holes 
cut  out  of  the  solid  iron  of  the  boat  and  fitted  with  flanges, 
into  which  they  were  set  with  great  care  by  means  of 
what  the  Chinese  call  chenam,  a  sort  of  water  cement 
made  of  lime,  oil,  white  of  eggs,  and  clam  shells  powdered 
fine,  used  by  them  in  making  all  their  vessels  water-tight. 
These  four  panes  of  plate  ''glass,  each  two  feet  square,  and 
an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  were  placed  at  either  end  and 
both  sides  of  my  boat  on  the  slanting  roof,  and  gave  me 
a  chance  to  see  in  what  direction  the  boat  was  moving, 
to  avoid  obstacles,  and  aid  me  in  submarine  navigation. 
They  were  also  thick  enough  to  withstand  a  blow  of  great 
force,  and  not  to  be  affected  by  the  pressure  of  water 
upon  them  when  at  great  depths;  but,  to  preserve  them 
more  fully  from  any  danger,  I  built  outside  of  them  all 
a  wire  screen,  the  meshes  of  which  were  perhaps  two 
inches  apart,  and  distant  from  the  face  of  the  glass 
outwards  some  six  inches,  made  of  strong  iron  wire  at 
least  three  eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  so  that  if  by 


258  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

chance  the  boat  should  receive  a  blow,  or  be  forced 
upon  or  back  against  any  object,  these  screens  would  re 
ceive  the  blow  and  not  the  naked  glass,  although  I  am 
ready  to  believe  that  the  latter  would  have  sustained  an 
immense  shock  without  breaking,  it  was  so  thick  and 
perfect,  without  crack  or  flaw.  I  should  have  said  that 
all  my  glass  bad  just  the  faintest  tinge  of  green,  caused 
by  the  minute  particles  of  iron  in  the  sea-sand  of  which  it 
was  composed,  of  which  I  had  not  been  able  to  completely 
free  it,  although  I  had  used  magnets  to  extract  large  por 
tions  of  it ;  but  enough  remained  to  give  it  this  very  light 
tinge  of  which  I  have  spoken. 

I  had  no  difficulty  in  cutting  my  thin  glass  into  any 
shape  I  desired,  by  means  of  case-hardened  steel,  which 
would  scratch  it  deep  enough  to  be  broken  off,  although  a 
glazier's  diamond  would  have  perhaps  performed  the  ope 
ration  better ;  but  a  piece  of  sharp-edged  chilled-steel  an 
swered  all  practical  purposes.  Later  on  I  had  occasion 
to  again  make  glass,  but  at  this  time  I  did  not  waste  a 
moment  in  making  household  utensils,  glasses,  or  bottles, 
my  earthenware,  wooden  ware,  and  ironware  doing  excel 
lent  service  for  me,  and  I  had  need  of  no  utensil  that  they 
could  not  supply. 

With  my  submarine  boat  perfected  and  supplied  as  it 
now  was  with  its  immense  windows,  I  made  many  trips, 
and  the  sights  under  the  water  that  my  eyes  gazed  upon 
I  could  write  thousands  of  pages  about.  I  made  no  great 
discovery,  however,  in  all  my  wanderings,  except  to  find 


WONDERS    OF   THE   DEEP.  259 

two  more  oyster-banks,  more  to  the  northeast  than  the  first 
one,  but  not  so  prolific.  I  saw  often  many  creatures  that 
never  come  to  the  surface,  and  for  which  there  is  no  name, 
some  of  them  small  and  seemingly  harmless,  and  others 
<|iiite  frightful  and  startling.  I  passed  over,  upon  three 
different  occasions,  enormous  cuttle-fishes,  or  squids,  with 
tentacles  at  least  six  or  eight  feet  in  length,  and  eyes  three 
inches  in  diameter;  but  they  never,  upon  any  occasion, 
paid  the  slightest  attention  to  my  boat,  but  remained 
perfectly  motionless,  clinging  to  the  stony  bottom,  wait 
ing  for  their  prey,  and  I  took  good  care  never  to  disturb 
them.  Immense  crabs  and  lobsters,  the  very  patriarchs 
of  the  ocean,  often  lay  on  the  bottom  to  my  view,  and 
seemingly  deformed  and  curious  fishes,  large  and  small,  some 
like  serpents  and  some  like  inflated  balls,  often  met  my 
view  as  I  floated  along  with  the  tide  a  few  feet  above  the 
bottom.  I  never  wholly  got  over  the  sensation  of  being 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean ;  it  always  seemed  as  if  I  had 
entered  another  world,  where  all  was  changed,  and  in 
which  every  living  thing  was  compelled  to  keep  an  eternal 
silence. 

Many  parts  of  the  bottom,  especially  that  near  the 
pearl-oyster  reef  and  the  approaches  to  Stillwater  Cove, 
became,  shortly  after  using  my  glass  windows,  as  familiar 
to  me  as  similar  places  would  have  been  on  land ;  there 
being  fully  as  many  distinguishing  marks,  peculiar  in 
themselves,  as  upon  the  rocks  and  protuberances  of  the 
island  itself.  I  loved  this  lonely  under-water  drifting 


260  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

about,  and  indulged  in  it  as  a  recreation  as  well  as  to 
increase  my  store  of  pearls.  I  sometimes  watched  for 
hours  the  habits  and  movements  of  the  animals  below  me, 
that  seemed  not  to  care  for  my  presence ;  but  quite  often 
some  huge  monster  of  the  sea  would  pass  by  me,  making 
me  hold  my  breath  with  awe,  if  not  fright.  But  I  often 
thought  that  my  iron  boat  would  be  a  hard  mouthful  for 
anything  beneath  the  waters  to  attempt  to  swallow. 

I  had  long,  long  ago  given  over  any  idea  of  being- 
attacked  by  savages,  and  my  nerves  had  become  again,  as 
in  my  younger  days,  hard  as  steel ;  yet  I  often  used  to 
think  of  how  I  could  lie  concealed  in  this  boat,  beyond 
discovery  from  any  source,  should  I  ever  be  attacked,  or 
how,  rising  to  the  surface  amongst  a  fleet  of  canoes,  I 
could  spread  dismay  by  my  appearance  alone  from  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean,  among  any  body  of  savages,  how 
ever  numerically  strong  or  valiant. 

No  one  will  ever  know  the  gardens  of  the  ocean  that  I 
often  sailed  over,  more  beautiful  far  than  anything  upon 
the  earth. 

My  restless  energy  did  not  stop  at  the  consummation 
of  this  submarine  boat,  but  during  this  year  I  went  to 
work  upon  a  beautiful  small  steam  yacht,  to  use  for  my 
pleasure  and  recreation.  It  was  built  partly  of  wood  and 
iron,  and  constructed  upon  the  ways  from  which  the  sub 
marine  boat  was  formerly  launched.  This  steam  yacht 
was  not  very  large,  but  it  was  of  a  fine  model  and  grace 
ful  lines.  I  built  it  twenty  feet  in  length  ami  six  feet  in 


BUILD   A   STEAM   YACHT.  261 

width,  aud  three  feet  draft  of  water,  with  nearly  the 
whole  decked  over  except  the  cockpit  aft.  It  was  fitted 
with  one  long  mast,  situated  near  the  bows,  and 
only  to  be  used  in  case  of  emergency.  The  building 
of  the  boiler  and  engine,  of  about  four-horse  power,  was 
to  me  a  pleasure,  not  a  labor,  and  the  casting  of  the  screw 
was  the  only  thing  that  gave  me  any  trouble.  But  this  I 
finally  overcame,  after  a  few  trials  with  different  moulds. 
The  little  house  that  contained  the  cabin  and  engine-room 
was  lighted  with  small  pieces  of  plate  glass,  and  I  fitted 
the  interior  with  a  nice  cot  to  sleep  upon,  lockers  for  pro 
visions,  coal,  and  fuel,  a  small  cast-iron  stove  for  cooking 
purposes,  and  all  the  handy  appurtenances  of  a  small 
yacht.  My  sail  was  not  a  very  elegant  one,  and  was  made 
out  of  strong  matting,  light  but  coarse ;  I  having,  as  yet, 
not  attempted  to  make  cloth  in  any  shape.  My  cable  was 
of  rawhide,  and  my  anchors,  of  course,  of  iron. 

With  this  boat,  after  a  preparatory  trial  of  its  engine, 
in  company  with  one  of  my  pet  goats  I  set  out  upon  the 
circumnavigation  of  my  island.  It  was  one  fine  December 
morning  that  I  steamed  down  Stillwater  Cove,  the  yacht 
moving  rapidly  and  evenly  along  through  the  water,  and 
the  machinery  and  screw  working  well  and  smoothly.  I 
had  invented  a  sort  of  comb  to  retain  the  tiller  in  any 
given  position  whilst  absent  from  the  deck  in  the  engine- 
room  to  put  on  more  fuel  or  oil  the  engine,  so  that  the 
yacht  would  proceed  in  a  straight  course  till  my  return  to 
the  deck.  I  intended  to  make  a  complete  circuit  of 


262  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  island,  and  to  be  absent  several  days  if  needful ;  so 
before  leaving  the  Hermitage  I  put  everything  in  order. 
As  to  my  flocks  and  birds,  they  at  this  season  could  take 
care  of  themselves  very  well  for  a  few  days.  I  laid  my 
course  first  for  West  Signal  Point,  and,  when  I  had  doubled 
it,  I  pointed  the  yacht  due  north,  and  made  quite  an  excur 
sion  in  that  direction,  fully  twenty-five  miles ;  but,  as  I 
suspected,  found  no  sign  of  any  other  land,  although  I 
climbed  upon  the  mast  and  looked  about  me  in  all  direc 
tions,  the  island  astern  being  in  the  dim  distance.  I  found 
that  my  little  yacht  was  a  splendid  sea-boat,  and,  decked 
over  as  she  was,  plunged  into  the  waves  of  the  Pacific 
unharmed.  Its  rate  of  speed,  in  smooth  water,  I  esti 
mated  at  fully  nine  knots,  and  in  a  seaway  at  least  five 
or  six.  Having  in  vain  looked  about  me  for  land,  which, 
however,  I  did  not  expect  to  find,  I  put  about  and  steered 
back  to  the  island,  leaving  West  Signal  Point  on  the  port 
hand,  and  close  aboard,  making  my  way  to  the  southward, 
and  parallel  with  the  western  shore  of  the  island,  distant 
not  over  one  mile. 

When  off  Penguin  Point  I  again  put  to  sea,  at  least 
twenty-five  miles  due  west ;  but  as  in  the  former  case  dis 
covered  no  land.  When  I  had  again  come  up  with  the 
island  the  day  was  nearly  spent,  and  I  took  the  yacht  into 
a  small  cove,  just  to  the  westward  of  Mirror  Bay,  and, 
having  anchored  in  smooth  water,  ate  my  supper,  played 
with  and  caressed  my  goat,  and  went  to  bed.  In  the 
early  morning  I  again  got  under  way  and  stood  out  to 


EXPLORING    THE   COAST.  263 

sea,  to  the  southward,  but  no  sign  of  land.  Thence  I 
proceeded  to  Eastern  Cape,  and  from  there  made  a  trip 
seaward,  to  the  eastward,  but  writh  similar  barren  results. 
From  thence  I  made  my  way  home  to  the  Hermitage, 
pleased  with  my  yacht  and  with  the  trip,  but  doubly  con 
vinced  that  my  island  was  alone  and  distinct,  and  not  one 
of  a  series  or  group.  As  I  passed  Mirror  Bay  on  this 
trip  I  was  tempted  to  enter  it  and  explore  the  island 
more  fully  in  that  direction,  but  as  I  found  on  the  second 
day  that  my  machinery  of  the  yacht  needed  some  slight 
alteration  and  change,  I  made  my  way  home,  as  I  have 
said,  determined  to  make  a  new  trip  for  this  very  pur 
pose,  and  therefore,  upon  my  arrival,  I  immediately  went 
to  work  upon  those  parts  of  the  engine  that  did  not 
exactly  please  rne  by  their  working,  and  improved  and 
perfected  them  in  my  workshop,  by  means  of  my  turning- 
lathe  and  other  tools,  till  they  suited  my  mechanical  tastes 
and  worked  perfectly  to  my  satisfaction.  I  fitted  my 
yacht  with  two  nice  iron  howitzers,  of  about  three  pounds 
caliber,  and  had  hung  up  in  the  cabin  a  harpoon  and 
lance,  with  twro  of  my  smooth-bored  guns  and  plenty  of 
ammunition.  The  coal  that  I  had  stored  on  board  would 
last  me  many  days,  for  there  was  at  least  three  tons,  and 
the  furnace  of  my  little  boiler  did  not  use  more  than  one- 
quarter  of  a  ton  daily,  if  as  much.  I  had  also  on  deck  a 
very  light  small  boat,  not  over  six  feet  in  length,  in  which 
I  could  reach  the  shore  whenever  I  anchored  the  yacht 
near  it. 


264  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

Thus  fitted  out,  which  took  me  several  days,  I  started 
again  upon  my  exploration,  and  it  was  upon  this  trip  I 
made  one  of  the  most  startling  discoveries  yet  since  I  had 
been  shipwrecked ;  one  that  changed  all  my  views  about 
the  island,  and  the  future,  and  carried  me  completely  out 
of  my  every-day  life  into  a  period  of  excitement,  curios 
ity,  and  amazement,  and  which,  as  will  be  disclosed,  had 
a  marked  effect  upon  all  my  future  movements. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Discovery  of  a  human  habitation.    The  skeleton  and  manuscript. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that  I  had  never  been  able  in 
my  own  mind  to  account  for  many  things  that  I  had  found 
upon  the  island ;  amongst  others,  the  goats,  sweet  pota 
toes,  and  tobacco.  I  could  not  disabuse  my  mind  of  the 
impression  that  some  one  else  had  been  before  me  on  this 
lonely  spot  of  earth ;  that  man  at  some  age  of  its  exist 
ence  had  placed  his  foot  upon  the  soil.  I  little  knew  when 
I  started  on  my  trip  to  Mirror  Bay  how  soon  some  of 
these  mysteries,  that  had  so  many  years  confused  me, 
would  in  a  moment  be  made  plain.  I  looked  forward  to 
no  startling  adventure,  and  yet  I  was,  without  knowing  it, 
sailing  straight  towards  the  solution  of  many  problems, 
guided,  unknown  to  myself,  by  a  mightier  hand  than 
mine. 

I  arrived  safely  in  Mirror  Bay,  and  proceeded  up  to 
wards  the  river,  the  machinery  of  my  yacht  working  beau 
tifully.  When  I  arrived  at  the  mouth  I  found  that  I 
could  still  ascend,  but  thought  it  best  to  anchor  near  the 
western  bank,  just  inside  the  mouth,  and  not  a  stone's 
throw  from  the  bank.  I  had  come  by  the  way  of  the  East 
ern  Cape,  and  having  started  early  in  the  morning,  at  day- 

265 


266  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

break,  about  four  o'clock,  I  found  myself  at  anchor  at 
about  seven  o'clock  by  the  sun,  having  made  the  run  in 
three  hours,  or  at  least  six  knots  an  hour,  the  distance 
being,  as  near  as  I  can  judge,  eighteen  miles. 

When  my  yacht  was  nicely  anchored,  and  the  tire  put 
out  and  the  engine  placed  in  order,  I  took  my  little  flat-boat 
and  went  on  shore  with  my  goat,  intending  to  walk  inland 
in  a  northwesterly  direction,  towards  Mirror  Lake  ;  but  I 
had  scarcely  taken  ten  steps  into  the  open  woods  before 
I  recoiled  with  a  sensation  of  fear,  such  as  I  have  never 
before  experienced,  and  made  for  my  boat,  but  before  I 
reached  it  my  horror  had  become  curiosity.  Turning 
about,  I  faced  the  direction  from  whence  I  had  come ;  and, 
taking  my  shot-gun  from  my  shoulder,  I  looked  carefully 
to  the  flint  to  see  that  it  was  all  right,  eased  a  knife  that 
I  carried  at  my  belt  in  its  sheath,  and  thus,  with  my  mind 
collected,  but  with  my  brain  almost  confused  with  excite 
ment,  I  advanced  slowly  towards  the  place  from  which  I 
had  just  retreated  in  so  startled  a  manner.  Yes;  there 
could  be  no  mistake ;  looking  through  the  boughs  of  an 
intervening  tree  of  small  growth,  I  saw  A  HUMAN  HABITA 
TION,  and  the  habitation  evidently  of  a  civilized,  or  at  least 
semi-civilized,  being.  Before  me  —  in  ruins,  to  be  sure, 
but  still  unmistakably  the  work  of  human  hands,  and  skilled 
ones,  too  —  stood  a  stone  hut  at  least  ten  feet  square, 
and  with  dilapidated  stone  walls  at  least  eight  feet  high, 
without  roof,  and  with  evident  remains  of  a  door  and  two 
apertures  for  windows  facing  towards  the  sea  in  the  direc- 


DISCO  VEKY   OF   THE   STONE   HUT.  267 

tion  I  stood.  I  leaned  against  the  tree  that  I  stood  near, 
faint  and  overcome  with  emotion.  A  thousand  thoughts 
rushed  through  my  mind,  but  I  soon  convinced  myself 
that  this  habitation  had  been  deserted  by  man  for  long 
ages  of  time.  Should  I  ever  know  how  long?  Every 
thing  about  the  hut  denoted  extreme  age  and  decay; 
trees  were  even  growing  from  the  interior,  and  showed 
above  the  walls  where  the  roof  ought  to  be ;  rank  weeds 
and  grass  grew  in  the  open  doorway,  and  vines  crept 
around  the  dismantled  walls ;  yet  there  it  stood,  a  monu 
ment  unmistakable  of  a  human  presence  at  some  previous 
time,  and  a  civilized  one,  too.  No  savage  hands  ever 
erected  those  walls  or  pierced  those  apertures  for  door 
and  windows.  I  sat  down,  still  gazing  at  the  hut,  and 
tried  to  gather  my  wits  together  and  to  overcome  my  agi 
tation.  Fifteen  minutes  in  this  position  brought  to  me 
a  certain  amount  of  composure,  for  nothing  presented 
itself  that  I  could  fear,  and  it  seemed  as  if  little  informa 
tion  could  be  gained  by  a  closer  inspection. 

Those  who  had  built  this  hut  had  long  since  departed 
whence  they  came,  or  were  stilled  by  the  hand  of  death ; 
there  was  nothing  left  for  me, —  no  companionship,  no  in 
formation,  nothing  but  the  knowledge  gained  that  the 
island  had  been  inhabited  either  by  chance  or  by  coloni 
zation,  and  those  who  had  visited  it  had  built  this  hut, 
and,  no  doubt,  brought  the  goats,  tobacco,  and  sweet  pota 
toes  that  had  so  long  puzzled  my  brains  to  account  for. 
Was  this  hut  all,  or  was  it  one  of  a  series  ?  Was  it  the 


268  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

preparatory  discovery  to  many  others,  or  lone  and  solitary  ? 
Alas !  I  knew  not. 

Having  completely  recovered  my  composure  and  stilled 
my  beating  pulses,  I  advanced  to  examine  more  minutely 
the  cause  of  my  amazement  and  fright.  Passing  within 
what  had  formerly  been  the  door,  I  found  myself  in  a 
space  of  at  least  nine  feet  square,  enclosed  within  rough, 
strong,  but  ruined  walls.  The  remains  of  shelves  were 
plainly  visible  upon  the  walls,  and  evidences  of  a  pro 
longed  occupation  at  some  former  day  by  civilized  persons 
met  my  view.  The  hut  had  evidently  never  had  any  floor 
ing,  and  in  its  place  a  long  and  luxuriant  grass  flourished. 
Passing  further  into  the  interior,  I  moved  towards  the 
southerly  wall  —  the  door  opening  towards  the  eastward 
—  and  proceeded  to  examine  that  portion.  My  eye  caught, 
half  way  up  the  wall,  a  sort  of  projecting  shelf,  with  some 
thing  evidently  made  by  human  hands  still  clinging  to 
its  battered  and  weather-worn  surface.  I  rushed  eagerly 
towards  it,  but,  before  my  hand  could  grasp  it,  I  was  almost 
thrown  down  by  catching  my  feet  in  an  obstacle  hidden 
in  the  long  grass,  between  me  and  my  object.  Regaining 
myself  with  difficulty,  I  glanced  down  to  see  what  had 
obstructed  my  progress,  and  found  my  feet  mixed  up 
in  the  bones  of  a  human  skeleton.  I  was  not  fright 
ened,  but  shocked,  and,  clearing  my  feet  with  care,  I 
stepped  back  and  examined  these  mute  witnesses  of 
former  life.  Here  then,  thought  I,  are  the  remains 
of  one '  at  least  who  has  lived  and  died  upon  my  island 


FINDING  THE    SKELETON. -PAGE  268. 


GRAVE   THOUGHTS.  269 

long  ages  ago.  How  did  he  come  here?  How  long 
did  he  live  here  ?  Why  did  he  die  ?  Would  this  event 
ually  be  my  fate,  and  should  I  some  day  have  to  lie 
down  and' die,  too,  with  no  one  to  inter  my  bones?  This 
human  being  was  either  alone  or  else  the  last  to  suc 
cumb,  or  otherwise  his  bones  would  have  been  interred 
and  not  left  to  whiten  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Would 
this  be  my  fate?  To  be  sure,  I  had  not  as  yet  been 
sick  one  day  so  as  to  be  confined  to  my  bed,  and  had 
only  suffered  from  minor  ills,  such  as  colds  and  slight 
summer  attacks,  but  how  long  was  it  to  be  before  I 
should  be  laid  up  in  my  own  house,  with  fever  or  deli 
rium,  with  none  to  care  for  me  ?  To  be  sure,  I  had  care 
fully  arranged  affairs  about  my  bed  in  case  of  such  a  con 
tingency,  having  arranged  a  shelf,  upon  which  I  had 
placed  simple  remedies,  such  as  I  had  been  able  to  collect, 
near  to  my  hand,  such  as  sulphur  and  saltpetre,  with  a  few 
steeped  herbs  enclosed  in  jars  ready  for  use  to  my  hand, 
with  spare  matches,  and  lamps,  and  some  preserved  suet, 
etc.  I  had  done  everything  that  I  could  do  to  preserve 
myself  should  I  be  taken  suddenly  and  dangerously  ill ; 
but  what  was  to  prevent  me  from  at  last  coming  to  this 
very  state  before  me,  to  die  in  my  bed,  and  remain  a  grin 
ning  skeleton  for  some  future  generation  to  discover. 
Nothing  but  Divine  Providence  could  keep  me  from  this 
pitiable  end.  For  if  I  did  not  escape  it  was  only  a  mat 
ter  of  time  when  I  should  appear  before  others  as  this 
poor  mortal  appeared  before  me.  I  could  not  and  would 


270  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

not  believe  that  I  was  reserved  for  so  cruel  a  fate.  I  was 
unwilling  to  believe  that  God,  who  had  endowed  me  with 
enough  intellect  to  construct  and  invent  the  many  useful 
articles  I  had  gathered  around  me,  would  allow  me  to 
perish,  alone,  uncared  for,  and  unwept.  My  courage  arose 
as  I  gazed  upon  the  skeleton  before  me,  and  I  moralized 
thus :  You  must  have  lived  in  an  age  when  God  had  not 
granted  to  mortals  the  permission  to  discover  and  utilize 
many  of  the  arts  and  sciences  of  my  day ;  you  did  not 
live  when  steam  was  the  motive  power,  when  the  light 
nings  of  the  heavens  were  made  obedient  to  man  to  con 
vey  his  demands  and  requests,  when  the  paddle-wheels  of 
floating  steamers  beat  the  waters  of  all  the  oceans  of  the 
earth.  All  of  these  things,  and  many  others,  were  un 
known  to  you.  My  case  is  not  as  bad  as  yours  was,  if  you 
were  shipwrecked.  I,  of  this  century,  on  this  same  island, 
have  gathered  about  me,  from  nothing,  strength  and  power. 
You,  seemingly,  have  had  only  this  rude  hut  over  your 
head.  I  have  chances  of  escape ;  I  doubt  if  you  ever  had 
any  from  the  first  day  of  your  arrival,  for  I  cannot  con 
ceive  of  your  having  willingly  remained  upon  this  desert 
isle.  And  now,  poor  mortal,  passed  away  so  long  ago, 
let  us  see  if  you  can  do  anything  for  me,  your  living  pro 
totype. 

And,  thus  ending  my  musings,  I  kneeled  down  and  com 
menced  cutting  away  with  my  knife  the  long  grass  that 
surrounded  and  that  was  even  interwoven  with  the  bones. 
The  clothes,  if  there  had  ever  been  any  at  the  time  of 


THE  SKELETON'S  LAST  WILL.  271 

death,  had  long  since  been  destroyed  and  blown  away  by 
the  winds  of  heaven.  From  the  narrow  bone  of  the  mid 
dle  finger  of  the  left  hand,  which  was  nearest  me,  I  drew 
off  a  handsome  gold-chased  ring,  with  a  fine  carbuncle  for 
a  jewel,  the  whole  in  a  state  of  perfect  preservation.  This 
at  once  announced  that  my  unfortunate  was  a  civilized  be 
ing  and  one  of  some  importance.  Moving  towards  the  right 
hand,  I  found  the  bones  of  the  fingers  imbedded  in  a  tuft 
of  grass,  and,  releasing  them,  I  ascertained  that  they 
grasped  some  object  in  their  clasp,  which  remained  partly 
buried  in  the  ground  and  soil  that  nature  had  piled  up 
around  it.  Taking  the  point  of  my  knife,  I  released  it, 
and  held  in  my  hand  a  beautifully  chased  silver  snuff-box, 
encrusted  and  soiled  by  exposure,  to  be  sure,  but  in  a  re 
markable  state  of  preservation.  I  forced  open  the  lid, 
and  took  out  a  small  piece  of  parchment,  which  almost 
crumbled  under  my  fingers.  Being,  however,  warned  by 
my  discovery,  I  acted  with  caution,  and  took  the  box  and 
its  contents  to  a  smooth  stone  outside  the  hut,  and  com 
menced  examining  the  contents  with  care.  The  wrrapper 
of  parchment  that  crumbled  under  my  fingers  disclosed 
another  within  it  that  was  much  better  preserved,  and, 
noticing  carefully  that  there  was  no  writing  upon  the  outer 
covering,  I  cast  it  away  and  commenced  opening  the  sec 
ond,  which  was  also  of  parchment,  but  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  This  was  also  blank,  but  within  it  was  en 
closed  a  third  piece,  not  more  than  six  inches  square  when 
opened,  on  which  wore  written  these  words:  — 


272  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

Anno  Dom.  1781, 

Dec. ye  ijth. 
* 

Being  neare  to  death  I  putt  this  on  record  in  hopes  that  some 
God-fearing  mann  maye  find  it  and  become  my  heir.  I  have 
burried  under  ye  foot  of  ye  large  tree,  distant  27  pases  from  ye 
sou-yeste  corner  of  this  hous,  a  fu.lle  and  complete  hystorie  of 
my  life  and  where  my  treasur  lyes.  Alas  !  at  ye  bottom  of  the 
sea,  but  hence  it  maye  by  skill  and  forty  tude  bee  recovered. 

Who  he  be  that  redes  this,  if  of  Christan  breeding,  I  pro 
claim  heir  to  me.  If  not  Christan  I  hope  he  wille  nott  be  able 
to  read  this,  or  discover  my  secret.  Lette  my  bones  be  biirried. 
My  curse  upon  himn  who  uses  this  treasur  butt  for  good,  which 
I  acquired  by  yeares  of  bloodshed.  Wille  God  ever  forgive  me  f 

THOMAS  SUTLAND. 

As  I  finished  reading  the  above  I  glanced  out  beyond 
the  ruined  walls,  and  saw  before  me  the  tree  that  was 
mentioned,  but  I  did  not  move  to  solve  the  mystery  fur 
ther.  Here  was  matter  enough  for  thought  before  me 
where  I  sat.  What  had  been  this  mortal's  life  that  he 
should  here  set  down  that  he  had  gained  a  treasure 
through  bloodshed?  I  examined  carefully  the  ink  with 
which  the  document  was  written,  and  made  up  my  mind 
that  it  was  composed  of  blood,  that  this  human  being  had 
probably  written  these  lines  with  blood  from  his  own 
veins  some  eighty  years  ago;  and,  although  the  charac 
ters  were  faint,  they  were  perfectly  legible.  Treasure! 
what  was. treasure  to  me  that  was  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea  ?  Ah !  but  I  had  a  submarine  boat  with  which  I 


RELIC-HUNTING.  273 

could  seek  for  it.  My  curiosity  began  to  be  aroused,  but 
my  thoughts  were  still  so  conflicting  that  I  did  not  yet 
fully  grasp  the  information  that  the  parchment  conveyed. 
After  a  long  musing  I  commenced  again  my  search 
around  the  hut,  and,  in  the  first  place,  took  from  the  shelf 
the  article  that  had  attracted  my  notice,  which  proved  to 
be  a  perfectly  formed  clay  pipe,  of  heavy  and  ancient 
pattern,  but  as  well  preserved  as  the  day  it  was  laid  upon 
the  shelf.  The  stem,  of  whatever  material  formed,  had 
disappeared,  but  there  was  the  bowl,  just  as  used  eighty 
years  ago.  I  put  it  carefully  one  side,  and  again  com 
menced  my  explorations  of  the  hut,  which  I  begdn,  by 
clearing  away  all  the  grass  and  shrubbery  from  within, 
and  exposing,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  former  flooring. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that,  after  a  long  day's  work,  this  was  the 
amount  of  my  discoveries  and  collections,  —  one  rusty 
gun-barrel,  with  stock  and  lock  gone ;  the  rusty  remains 
of  two  large  pistols,  and  one  cutlass ;  the  remnants  of  an 
iron  pot,  and  open  fireplace ;  and  parts  of  a  steel-plated 
helmet  or  fighting  hat;  with  smaller  pieces  of  iron  and 
steel,  of  which  it  was  impossible  now  to  distinguish  the 
use  or  form,  a  golden  ring,  a  silver  snuff-box,  a  pipe,  a 
mass  of  useless,  broken,  rust-eaten  steel  and  iron  utensils, 
and  a  human  skeleton.  This  was  all,  when  gathered 
together,  that  my  explorations  brought  to  view,  except 
the  precious  document  that  was  to  explain  the  whole. 
With  a  sad  and  despondent  heart  I  called  my  pet  goat 
to  my  side,  and  descended  towards  the  yacht,  and  went 


274  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

on  board  to  think  over  my  strange  adventure.  This 
island  then  had  been  known  eighty  years  ago,  had  been 
inhabited,  even.  Had  this  unfortunate  been  cast  on  shore 
alone  as  I  was?  No;  his  arms,  hut,  and  utensils  told 
another  story.  Why  had  he  remained  in  this  solitary 
spot?  To  expiate  some  horrible  crime?  By  the  con 
fession  before  me,  it  seemed  like  it.  How  much  charac 
ter  did  this  parchment,  on  the  face  of  it,  proclaim  ?  In 
the  first  place,  a  bloody  and  savage  nature,  by  its  own 
confession ;  second,  a  fair,  but  not  over  excellent,  educa 
tion  ;  third,  a  superstitious  or  cowardly  fear  of  the 
Almighty  in  the  hour  of  death,  after  confessed  deeds 
of  blood;  fourth,  a  love  of  display,  as  exhibited  in  the 
snuff-box  and  ring ;  fifth,  authority  and  command  of 
some  degree,  as  shown  by  the  remains  of  costly  weapons. 
Thus  I  gave  my  brain  excitement  all  the  night,  instead  of 
indulging  my  curiosity  by  trying  to  discover  the  history 
referred  to.  My  life  had  been  so  lonely  that  I  postponed 
as  long  as  possible  the  final  revelation  of  the  life  of  this 
man.  I  played  with  the  sensations  that  my  discovery 
had  evoked,  as  a  cat  does  with  a  mouse,  or  as  a  sailor 
with  his  last  piece  of  tobacco  at  sea,  or  a  miser  his  gold. 
The  sensation  was  so  intoxicating  to  have  something  to 
think  about  out  of  the  usual  run  that  I  did  not  choose  to 
•  have  it  solved,  and  yet  was  on  fire  to  solve  it.  In  the 
morning,  after  a  restless,  sleepless  night,  T  plunged  into 
the  waters  of  the  bay  and  took  my  customary  bath,  and 
then  to  breakfast,  after  which  I  commenced  the  prose- 


DISCOVER   THE   HISTORY.  275 

cution  of  my  search  with  vigor.  I  proceeded  to  the  south 
east  corner  of  the  hut  and  paced  off  twenty-seven  paces, 
which  brought  me  to  the  tree  that  my  eye  had  already 
picked  out  as  the  one  alluded  to.  With  some  iron  uten 
sils  that  I  had  brought  from  the  yacht,  including  the  iron 
coal-shovel  and  poker,  I  commenced  making  an  excava 
tion  in  the  ground.  I  dug  a  hole  at  least  four  feet  deep 
before  I  found  anything  out  of  the  ordinary,  but  when  at 
about  that  depth,  my  shovel  struck  upon  something  that 
was  not  earth,  as  I  felt  assured,  and  I  soon  laid  open 
before  my  eyes  the  top  of  what  was  evidently  a  wooden 
box  of  some  foot  or  two  in  diameter,  but  so  interwoven 
wTith  the  roots  of  the  tree  that  had  evidently  grown 
about  it  since  it  was  placed  there,  that  I  was  unable  to 
extricate  it.  I  therefore  went  on  board  of  the  yacht  and 
returned  with  a  hatchet,  and  soon  cleared  away  these 
obstructions,  and  dragged  to  the  surface  a  rough  wooden 
box,  of  an  oblong  shape,  made  of  wood,  of  at  least  two 
inches  in  thickness  originally,  but  now  worm-eaten,  rot 
ten,  and  ready  to  be  broken  to  pieces  with  my  hands 
alone.  With  a  slight  use  of  my  hatchet  I  forced  this 
carefully  apart,  and  found,  within,  a  package  rolled  in 
what  had  evidently  at  some  former  time  been  birch  bark. 
Peeling  this  off,  I  came  to  a  glazed  earthen  or  porcelain 
pitcher  or  jug  with  a  large  mouth  and  with  handle,  that 
would  hold  at  least  two  quarts,  the  color  of  which  was  a 
dirty  white  or  dusky  brown.  The  mouth  of  this  jug 
was  closed  with  parchment,  once  carefully  tied  down,  but 
nowr  in  a  state  of  decomposition.  Grasping  my  prize,  I 


276  PEESEVEEANCE  ISLAND, 

went  on  board  of  my  yacht  to  examine  it  more  fully  at 
my  leisure.  This  whole  adventure  had  so  worked  upon 
my  nervous  system  that  I  even  went  to  work  and  got  up 
steam  and  buoyed  my  anchor,  ready  to  cast  off  at  a  mo 
ment's  notice,  before  I  would  proceed  further  with  my 
examination.  Why  I  did  this  I  cannot  tell.  It  was  a 
sort  of  sailor's  precaution,  engendered  by  years  of  care 
and  prudence.  My  reason  told  me  I  had  nothing  to  fear ; 
my  nerves  told  me  to  get  ready  for  any  emergency. 

Having  seated  myself  quietly  on  deck,  after  making  all 
the  above  arrangements,  I  took  the  jug  again  in  hand 
and  commenced  to  tear  off  carefully  the  parchment  at  the 
mouth.  The  outside  one,  being  removed,  disclosed  another 
in  a  better  state  of  preservation,  and  this  second  a  third, 
which,  when  removed,  showed  a  large  soft-wood  plug  or 
cover,  fitting  into  the  mouth  of  the  jug,  and  profusely 
covered  with  a  sort  of  pitch,  which  had  evidently  been 
melted  and  poured  upon  it,  and  was  probably  made  from 
the  resinous  gums  with  which  the  island  abounded.  I 
soon  had  this  started  by  repeated  knocks  of  my  knife- 
handle,  and  the  plug  exposed,  which,  with  the  point  of 
my  knife,  I  had  little  difficulty  in  extracting;  having 
done  which,  I  emptied  upon  the  deck  a  roll  of  parchment, 
tied  up  with  a  broad  band  of  the  same  material.  With 
intense  emotion  I  opened  the  roll,  consisting  of  several 
sheets ;  and,  written  in  black  ink,  but  with  similar  errors 
and  ancient  spelling,  as  in  the  first  document,  I  found 
the  following,  which,  corrected  into  modern  English, 
read  thus:  — 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

The  Pirate's  Manuscript. 

ISLAND  IN  THE  PACIFIC  OCEAN, 
October,  1781. 

IN  grief  and  sorrow,  and  great  bodily  pain,  I  write 
these  lines,  fearing  that  I  shall  not  recover  from  my 
wounds,  and  that  death  will  soon  seize  upon  me.  I  ask 
Christian  burial  for  my  bones,  and  that  God  will  forgive 
me  my  mai^y  sins. 

I  was  born  an  Englishman  and  passed  an  adventurous 
life  till,  in  the  year  1778,  I  found  myself,  after  a  life  of 
villainy  and  piracy,  captain  of  the  armed  brig  "  Rover," 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  and  cruising  in  these  seas.  It 
would  take  too  long  and  be  of  little  interest  to  relate  how 
through  years  of  bloodshed  I  had  arrived  at  this  emi 
nence.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  for  the  last  ten  years  of 
my  life  I  have  spared  neither  man,  woman,  nor  child,  and 
that  God  in  his  power  has  at  last  brought  this  retribution 
upon  my  head.  I  could  relate  scenes  of  horror,  and  hair 
breadth  escapes,  that  would  not  be  believed  or  credited, 
therefore  I  skip  them  all  and  corne  to  the  causes  of  my 
being  imprisoned  on  this  desolate  island.  The  brig  that 
I  commanded  had  on  many  occasions  been  successful  in 
preying  upon  the  Spanish  galleons  of  this  coast,  and  many 

277 


278  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

a  South  American  city  had  even  been  put  under  contri 
bution  ;  but  to  the  immense  wealth  and  plunder  thus  ob 
tained  was  to  be  added  still  another  capture.  On  the 
morning  of  the  14th  of  August,  1781,  the  brig  "Rover" 
lay  in  near  the  coast  of  South  America  waiting  for  the 
passage  of  two  galleons,  loaded  with  treasure  from  the 
Northern  mines  of  El  Dorado,  for  Valparaiso.  From 
spies  in  that  city  I  had  found  out  that  the  treasure  was 
estimated  at  twelve  millions,  in  gold  and  silver  bars,  and 
that  these  galleons  were  armed  with  six  eighteen-pounders 
each,  and  with  a  crew  of  Spaniards  and  natives,  number 
ing  sixty  men.  Two  long  weeks  had  we  been  lying  near 
the  coast  standing  out  in  the  morning,  and  in  towards  the 
evening,  waiting  for  our  prey ;  when,  on  this  fatal 
morning,  after  heading  seaward  for  four  hours,  we  dis 
covered  the  enemy  on  the  horizon  to  the  northwest.  The 
"  Rover "  was  a  strong,  well-built  brig  of  three  hundred 
tons,  and  was  manned  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  human 
devils,  drawn  from  all  nations,  but  mostly  Englishmen, 
with  a  few  South  Americans  and  natives.  We  carried 
eight  eighteen-pounders,  and  one  long  thirty-two  pivot 
gun  amidships.  Our  vessel  was  fast  and  a  splendid  sea- 
boat.  We  were  favored  with  a  wind  from  the  southeast, 
which  put  the  enemy  to  leeward  of  us,  and  we  boldly 
clapped  on  all  sail  to  come  up  with  him,  which  perceiving, 
and  also  that  we  had  the  weather  gauge,  the  cowardly 
Spaniards  put  up  their  helm  and  kept  off  before  the  wind, 
hoping  to  outsail  us;  but  before  they  commenced  this 


THE  PIKATE'S  STOKY.  279 

manoeuvre  we  had  approached  near  enough  to  be  sure 
that  they  were  what  we  had  been  waiting  for,  and  there 
fore,  rigging  out  stu'nsails  on  both  sides,  we  bowled  along 
before  the  wind  to  the  northwest,  after  the  retreating 
enemy. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  the  "  Rover  "  was  the  faster 
sailer,  and  also  that  one  of  the  galleons  was  a  much  better 
sailer  or  better  handled  than  her  consort ;  for  we  were 
coming  up  hand  over  hand  to  one  of  them,  whilst  the 
other,  some  two  miles  ahead,  held  her  own  much  better. 
As  we  neared  the  sternmost  and  lagging  galleon,  we  com 
menced  firing  from  our  bow-chasers,  but  without  apparent 
effect.  I  think  to  this  day  that  if  the  two  had  kept 
together  they  might  possibly  have  beaten  us  off,  but,  sepa 
rated  as  they  were  by  their  own  cowardice,  they  would, 
I  felt  convinced,  fall  an  easy  prey  to  our  designs.  As  we 
gradually  neared  the  galleon,  the  crew  of  the  "  Rover " 
became  more  and  more  excited  ;  and  the  cursed  thirst  for 
gold,  and  subsequent  license  and  revel  that  was  sure  to 
follow  its  acquisition,  glowered  in  each  countenance.  The 
time  had  come  for  our  usual  unholy  rites,  and,  ordering  up 
the  steward,  the  usual  cask  of  brandy  was  hoisted  to  the 
deck,  the  contents  poured  into  two  large  tubs,  and  one 
of  them  transported  to  the  quarter  deck,  whilst  the  other 
was  left  at  the  main  hatch,  and,  at  a  preconcerted  signal, 
the  two  bow-chasers  were  discharged  at  the  enemy,  the 
black  flag  run  up  to  the  mizzen  peak,  and  all  hands  called 
upon  to  splice  the  main  brace,  or  in  other  words,  to  craze 


280  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

their  brains  by  partaking  of  the  fiery  liquor  poured  out 
before  them ;  the  quantity  on  the  quarter  deck  having 
been  mixed  with  gunpowder,  to  be  distributed  at  the 
guns  during  the  coming  conflict  as  I  might  deem  best  or 
proper.  We  were  now  rapidly  advancing  upon  our  prey, 
but  none  of  our  shot  seemed  to  have  taken  effect  and  as 
yet  she  had  made  no  reply. 

Commanding  silence  fore  and  aft,  I  ordered  more  sail 
crowded  upon  the  "  Rover,"  and  stood  on  till  we  were 
nearly  alongside,  and  not  a  gunshot  distant,  and  then, 
having  brought  all  the  eighteen-pounders  to  the  starboard 
side,  had  them  loaded  with  grape  and  canister.  I  ordered 
in  sail,  running  in  all  the  stu'nsails,  and  clearing  the  d,eck 
for  action ;  but  at  last  the  enemy  seemed  to  have  waked 
up,  for,  whilst  this  was  being  done,  she  poured  into  us  her 
broadside,  killing  and  wounding  several  of  the  crew,  but 
doing  no  further  damage,  and  then  immediately  came  to 
the  wind,  close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack.  We  fol 
lowed  rapidly,  but,  as  all  the  guns  were  on  the  starboard 
side,  I  ran  under  her  lee  rather  than  try  to  keep  the 
weather  gauge,  and  at  short  pistol  distance  sent  the  con 
tents  of  eight  eighteen-pounders  into  her  sides  and  rig 
ging.  The  result  was  to  have  been  anticipated :  down 
came  her  top  hamper  and  light  sails,  and  she  lay  a  wreck 
upon  the  water.  Shooting  ahead  in  the  "  Rover,"  I  short 
ened  sail,  and,  crossing  her  fore  foot,  held  my  vessel  with 
the  main  topsail  to  the  mast  and  poured  in  six  broadsides 
of  canister  and  grape,  raking  the  enemy  fore  and  aft,  to 


BOARDING    THE   GALLEON.  281 

which  she  could  not  reply  with  a  single  gun,  and  at  the 
termination  of  which  she  lay  a  complete  wreck  upon  the 
bosom  of  the  ocean.  Without  a  moment's  delay  the  main 
yard  was  squared  away,  and,  turning  upon  her  heel,  the 
"  Rover  "  made  all  sail  for  the  other  galleon.  It  was  four 
hours  before  we  came  up  to  her  so  as  to  be  within  shot, 
when  a  discharge  from  our  pivot  gun  cut  away  some  of 
her  top-hamper,  so  that  we  commenced  overhauling  her 
rapidly ;  but  this  one,  although  she  had  run  away  in  the 
commencement,  now  evidently  meant  fight,  and  she  re 
plied  to  our  broadsides  with  bravery  and  vigor,  so  much 
so  that  I  saw  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  board 
her  and  carry  her  by  assault,  as  we  were  being  cut  up 
in  a  fearful  manner,  and  my  crew  dropping  at  each  dis 
charge.  Seeing  this,  I  sung  out  to  the  helmsman,  "  Lay  her 
alongside,"  and,  with  a  crash,  we  in  a  few  moments  struck 
her  fore  chains,  having  the  weather  gauge,  and  in  a 
moment  were  securely  lashed  together.  Mounting  the 
taffrail,  I  sung  out  "  Boarders  away,"  and  jumped  upon 
the  deck  of  the  galleon,  followed  by  my  crew.  It  was 
with  the  same  results  I  have  so  often  seen  before :  no 
mercy,  no  quarter,  and  down  under  the  blows  of  the 
cruel  Rovers  soon  fell  the  Spaniards,  and  the  galleon  was 
ours.  It  was  time,  as  she  was  evidently  commencing  to 
leak  badly.  Some  of  the  crew  were  ordered  to  the 
pumps,  and  the  main  hatch  was  burst  open,  and,  under 
threat  of  instant  death,  the  position  of  the  treasure  was 
pointed  out  by  the  Spanish  captain.  The  amount,  esti- 


282 


PERSE VEKASCE    ISLAND. 


mated  at  some  seven  millions,  was  passed  by  sixty  hands 
as  fast  as  possible  to  the  hold  of  the  "  Rover,"  down  the 
companion  way ;  and,  when  all  was  over,  freeing  the  brig 
from  the  galleon,  I  took  position  near  to  her,  crashing 
into  her  broadside  after  broadside,  till  she,  with  her 
wounded,  dying,  and  living,  sank  beneath  the  waves. 
We  had  scarcely  finished  our  awful  work  when  night  set 
down  upon  us,  and,  taking  the  bearings  of  the  other 
wreck,  we  moved  slowly  forward  toward  her  under 
shortened  sail,  so  as  not  to  pass  her  in  the  darkness. 
Upon  mustering  the  crew  it  was  found  that  twenty-seven 
had  paid  the  penalty  of  death,  whilst  seventeen  were 
seriously  wounded,  and  twenty-one  slightly. 

When  morning  broke,  there  lay  the  other  galleon,  not 
one  mile  distant  broad  on  our  weather  bow.  We  soon 
came  up  to  her  and  saw  that  she  showed  no  signs  of  life, 
and,  hauling  off,  we  commenced  repairing  injuries  that  we 
had  suffered  in  the  conflict  with  her  consort,  and,  having 
everything  in  as  good  order  as  possible,  ranged  up  along 
side  preparatory  to  boarding,  and  in  fact  made  fast  with 
grappling-irons  to  the  wreck ;  but  not  a  man  opposed  us. 
Pouring  in  upon  her  decks,  and  questioning  the  wounded 
still  on  board,  we  ascertained  that  all  remaining  alive  — 
not  over  twenty  in  number,  it  seemed  —  who  were  not 
wounded  so  as  to  be  unable  to  do  so,  had  escaped  during 
the  night  in  the  shallop  and  made  for  the  coast,  trusting 
to  the  mercy  of  the  sea  rather  than  to  ours.  We  soon 
had  the  bullion  we  were  after  exposed  to  view  and  rapidly 


THE   KOVEK    AT    THE    ISLAND. 

transferred  to  the  "  Rover,"  which  amounted,  by  the  reck 
oning  of  the  wounded  Spaniards,  to  about  five  millions, 
so  that  the  "  Rover "  had  actually  under  hatches  the 
enormous  weight  of  some  eighty  tons  in  solid  silver,  and 
twenty-five  tons  in  gold,  all  in  bars,  so  as  to  overflow 
the  usual  stronghold  and  necessitate  stowage  in  the 
hold,  as  one  might  stow  cargo. 

Having  helped  ourselves  to  all  the  casks  of  wine  and 
brandy  on  board,  we  cut  adrift  from  the  wreck,  and  in 
spite  of  the  cries  of  the  wounded  upon  her  decks,  by 
numerous  well-directed  broadsides  sent  her  to  the  bot 
tom  of  the  ocean,  where  dead  men  tell  no  tales.  After 
this  horrid  crime  was  perpetrated,  we  set  sail  upon  the 
"Rover "to  the  southward  to  avoid  any  vessels  that  might 
be  sent  for  our  capture,  as  I  made  up  my  mind  that  we 
should  keep  well  to  sea  and  out  of  the  way  of  all  traffic 
till  search  for  us  had  been  given  up.  To  this  end  I 
steered  in  a  direction  out  of  the  track  of  all  known 
land,  till  on  the  15th  September,  in  the  morning,  we  dis 
covered  this  unknown  island  dead  ahead,  and,  finding 
that  it  showed  no  signs  of  being  inhabited,  I  passed 
around  to  the  southward  and  eastward  to  see  if  there 
was  a  good  bay  for  anchorage,  determined  to  allow  the 
crew  to  go  on  shore  and  have  their  carouse,  if  such  was 
the  case.  We  soon  opened  this  bay,  where  this  is  writ 
ten,  and,  having  sent  a  boat  on  shore  and  ascertained 
that  there  was  good  fresh  water  and  evidently  no  inhab- 


284  PEKSEVEKANCE    ISLAND. 

itants,  I  brought  the  "  Rover "  well  into   the   bay  and 
anchored  her  in  six  fathoms. 

This  being  done,  a  detail  of  the  crew  was  made  to 
build  this  hut  for  my  accommodation.  The  weather 
being  cool,  and  thinking  that  we  had  found  a  splendid 
stronghold  for  the  future,  I  commanded  several  goats 
to  be  landed,  and  as  iny  men  strolled  hither  and  thither 
they  were  instructed  to  plant  a  sweet  potato  once  in  a 
while,  of  which  we  had  plenty  on  board,  and  some 
seeds  of  the  tobacco  plant  were  also  planted,  I  believe, 
at  nearly  the  other  side  of  the  island,  near  some  river. 
I  made  up  my  mind  that  this  should  be  our  rendezvous 
in  the  future,  for  I  could  not  find  the  island  put  down 
upon  any  chart,  and  I  believed  it  utterly  unknown.  I 
made  known  my  resolves  to  my  subordinates,  and  they 
to  the  crew,  which  seemed  to  please  them  much ;  and 
now,  having  gotten  everything  in  readiness  and  a  watch 
set  aboard  the  vessel,  casks  of  brandy  were  hoisted  from 
the  hold  and  landed  upon  the  island.  To  these  were 
added  a  large  stock  of  provisions ;  and  an  enormous  tent 
was  erected  of  spare  sails.  Details  by  lot  were  made  of 
men  to  cook,  and  a  watch  to  keep  guard  in  the  vessel, 
and  then  for  three  days  all  discipline  was  relaxed, 
and  drunken  orgies  too  fearful  to  be  related  commenced, 
at  the  end  of  which  a  new  detail  of  the  most  sober 
was  made  for  the  watch  on  the  ship  and  the  cooking, 
when  the  same  recommenced.  During  these  six  days  I 
withdrew  with  one  servant  from  all  this  into  this  hut 


THE   MUTINY.  285 

that  I  had  ordered  built,  and  passed  the  time  as  pleas 
antly  as  I  could,  with  trips  once  in  a  while  to  the  vessel 
and  back.  Each  day  I  received  the  usual  report  of  so 
many  men  killed  in  drunken  brawls  or  so  many  wounded ; 
but  I  never  moved  a  finger  to  stop  the  affray,  feeling 
that  this  was  the  best  way  to  allow  them  to  work  off 
their  bad  blood  and  passions.  It  was,  however,  on  the 
seventh  day  that  I  saw  cause  for  alarm,  and,  alas!  too 
Into.  I  had  noticed  that  there  seemed  to  be  some  trou 
ble  brewing,  and  that  my  second  in  command,  when  he 
came  to  make  his  daily  report,  had  not  the  air  of  respect 
that  he  used  to  have,  and  that  the  reports  of  serious 
fights  were  more  frequent  than  on  former  carousals  of  a 
similar  nature.  Why,  here  were  some  five  men  killed 
and  seven  wounded  since  we  had  been  on  the  island, 
and  upon  inquiry  I  found  that  they  were  all  men  whom 
I  knew  were  devoted  to  me,  if  a  pirate  may  use  that 
term.  All  at  once  it  flashed  upon  my  brain  that  my 
second  in  command  was  inciting  the  crew  to  my  down 
fall  and  his  own  elevation.  In  fact,  the  matter  was 
made  too  apparent  on  that  very  day ;  for,  after  hearing 
the  report,  I  was  sitting  at  the  door  of  this  hut  when  an 
unearthly  confusion  and  din  commenced  at  the  large 
tent  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  report  of  pistols 
(all  guns  being  positively  forbidden  on  shore),  and  shouts 
and  cries  of  men  in  terrible  earnest  mixed  with  the 
screams  of  the  wounded.  I  buckled  on  my  cutlass  and 
picked  up  my  two  pistols,  and,  calling  upon  my  servant 


286  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

to  follow  me,  made  for  the  tent ;  but  before  I  arrived 
there  I  was  met  by  a  retreating  body  of  my  men  who 
were  making  for  my  hut,  crying  out,  "  Treason,  treason, 
treason !  "  followed  by  another  portion  of  the  crew,  at 
the  head  of  whom  was  my  second  in  command,  all  dis 
guise  now  thrown  off,  cheering  his  part  of  the  crew  on 
to  my  destruction.  I  gathered  about  me  the  retreating 
men  loyal  to  me,  and  we  faced  the  rest.  The  first  man 
who  advanced  I  shot  dead,  the  second  also,  and  the  day 
had  almost  turned  in  my  favor  when,  with  a  well-directed 
pistol-shot  and  with  a  curse  mingled  with  the  report, 
my  rival  brought  me  to  the  ground,  the  ball  having 
passed  through  my  chest  and  out  at  the  back.  I  fell 
to  the  ground,  and  in  one  instant  my  prestige  of  years 
was  gone.  When  I  say  gone  I  mean  that  it  was  so  far 
gone  that  it  barely  saved  my  life,  for  the  men  still  stood 
quite  firm  upon  my  side,  when,  with  the  wit  and  talent 
worthier  of  a  better  cause,  my  rival  moved  between  the 
conflicting  lines  and  called  for  a  truce,  uttering  at  the 
same  time  the  following  words  :  "  Now  look  a-here,  ship 
mates,  what  is  the  use  of  our  cutting  each  other's  throats 
any  more?  There  lies  your  late  captain,  still  alive  to  be 
sure,  but  good  for  nothing  more.  I  am  bound  to  be 
captain  of  the  '  Rover,'  and  you  see  I  have  more  men 
to  back  me,  and  a  head  to  them  also,  than  you  have. 
What's  the  use  of  our  cutting  each  other's  throats  when 
we  have  some  ten  or  fifteen  millions  to  spend  ?  If  you 
don't  like  to  give  in  I  only  admire  you  the  more  for  it ; 


SHOOTING   TIIK    PIKATK    CAPTAIN.  —  PAGE  286. 


DESERTING   THE   CAPTAIN.  287 

and  if  you  will  join  my  side  and  lay  down  your  arms,  I 
promise  before  you  all  not  to  injure  one  hair  on  the  head 
of  our  late  captain,  but  to  leave  him  here  on  this  island 
without  further  molestation.  Come,  that  is  a  fair  offer. 
You  have  done  enough  for  honor.  Do  you  accept? 
Why,  who  have  you  on  your  side  that  can  navigate  a 
vessel  ?  Who  will  give  you  as  much  liberty  and  money 
as  I  will  ?  We  will  live  in  common,  and  have  no  more 
of  this  damned  supposed  superiority.  But  as  for  Captain 
Sutland,  dead  or  alive,  he  and  I  can't  sail  in  the  same 
vessel  again.  I  will  do  all  I  say,  and  swear  it," — and 
amidst  the  wildest  cheers  of  excitement  and  drunken 
enthusiasm,  I  found  myself  lying  deserted  and,  as  I  be 
lieved,  bleeding  to  death.  After  some  little  hand-shaking 
and  congratulations,  however,  I  was,  by  order  of  my 
rival,  carried  carefully  to  this  hut,  where  my  wound 
was  examined  by  the  doctor  and  proclaimed  not  neces 
sarily  mortal.  Food  and  water  in  profusion,  fuel  for  my 
fire,  and  anything  that  I  should  naturally  require  during 
my  convalescence,  should  it  ever  take  place,  was,  with 
the  reckless  generosity  of  sailors,  piled  up  near  me  ;  and 
with  a  few  farewells  from  some  who  really  cared  for 
me,  I  was  left  alone,  my  whole  crew,  under  the  com 
mand  of  their  new  leader,  working  like  beavers  to  take 
down  their  tent,  get  on  board  and  to  sea,  and  thence 
to  some  haven  of  rest,  where  they  could  as  quickly  as 
possible  squander  the  wealth  so  criminally  acquired. 
They  had  placed  me  upon  my  wooden  bed,  so  that  I 


288  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

could  look  out  of  the  open  window  upon  the  bay  and 
ship,  and  see  their  departure.  It  was  nearly  sundown 
before  they  had  everything  ready,  and  with  a  heavy 
heart  I  heard  them  at  work  weighing  the  anchor,  leav 
ing  me  alone  to  solitude,  my  outraged  God,  and  prob 
ably  death. 

Lying  on  my  bed  of  pain,  I  saw  the  topsails  mastheaded 
and  everything  made  ready  for  a  start,  and  as  the  sun 
sank  to  rest  in  the  west,  shedding  a  glow  upon  the  waters, 
the  "  Rover  "  got  under  wTay  and  stood  out  to  the  south 
ward  and  eastward,  leaving  me  upon  this  desolate  island 
to  live  or  die.  I  knew  what  would  be  the  eventual  end 
of  their  reckless  career,  for  I  knew  that  the  pirate  who 
had  superseded  me,  although  of  great  animal  courage, 
had  very  little  education,  and  that  he  was  wanting  in  the 
art  of  practical  navigation.  The  sun  had  not  been  down 
an  hour  before  the  whole  heavens  changed  their  appear 
ance,  and  dark  clouds  from  the  southward  commenced  to 
overcast  the  stars.  The  wind  began  to  moan  amongst  the 
trees,  and  the  sea  to  give  forth  that  solemn  sound  or 
breathing  that  often  forbodes  a  storm.  In  less  than  three 
hours  it  was  blowing  heavily  from  the  southeast,  the  di 
rection  the  vessel  had  taken  to  clear  the  island,  and 
exactly  opposite  to  the  light  northwrest  wind  that  had  in 
the  first  part  of  the  evening  wafted  her  off  the  island's 
coast.  At  midnight  it  was  blowing  a  hurricane,  and  still 
I  gazed  from  my  bed  through  the  open  casement  towards 
the  sea.  There  was  not  much  rain,  and  what  there  was 


THE   WRECK   OF   THE   ROVER.  289 

did  not  reach  me,  my  bed  being  some  distance  from  the 
window  of  the  hut.  At  this  time,  in  spite  of  my  misery 
and  the  fever  of  my  wound,  I,  after  drinking  a  draught  of 
water  placed  beside  me,  fell  asleep,  or  rather  dozed,  from 
which  I  was  awakened  by  the  sound  of  guns,  —  yes,  great 
guns.  Wounded,  feverish,  as  I  was,  I  moved  in  my  bed 
to  glance  into  the  outer  darkness.  The  tempest  was  rag 
ing  with  increased  fury,  and  as  I  looked  into  the  inky 
blackness  seaward,  not  more  than  four  miles  distant  as  I 
should  judge  flashed  the  discharge  from  a  cannon,  and  in 
a  moment  after,  the  dull  but  deadened  report  met  my 
ear.  I  kept  my  eye  fixed  upon  the  spot,  for  I  knew  that, 
if  it  came  from  anywhere  near  the  same  spot  again,  the 
"Rover"  was  on  a  reef,  and  that  there  would  be  little 
hope  for  her.  In  a  few  minutes  another  flash  occurred, 
and  I  saw  that  it  was  in  the  same  situation.  Good  God, 
and  had  your  retribution  met  them  then  so  suddenly  ?  I 
saw  in  my  mind  at  once  the  actual  state  of  affairs  as 
readily  as  if  I  had  been  on  board. 

The  "  Rover "  had  stood  to  the  southeast  with  a  fair 
wind,  and  all  the  crew  under  their  new  master,  being  with 
out  discipline,  had  allowed  themselves  to  be  caught  by  the 
gale  from  the  opposite  direction  with  all  sail  set,  or  too 
much  at  least ;  that  she  had  either  been  taken  aback  and 
lost  her  masts  at  once,  weakened  in  previous  conflicts,  or 
else,  before  she  could  be  squared  away  before  the  blast, 
been  cast  on  her  beam  ends,  and  for  safety  had  had  them 
cut  away.  After  which,  unmanageable  with  a  drunken 


290  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

crew  and  an  incompetent  master,  she  had  drifted  in  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  back  slowly  but  gradually  towards  the 
anchorage  she  had  just  left,  until,  brought  up  upon  some 
sunken  ledge  outside  the  harbor,  she  was  pounding  out 
her  life  upon  the  jagged  rocks  concealed  beneath  the 
water.  This  was^  I  felt,  the  case,  and  would  any  be  saved 
to  be  my  companions  on  this  desolate  island  ?  I  knew 
that  not  a  living  soul  would  be  left  to  tell  the  tale.  The 
mighty  roar  of  the  wind  and  the  noise  of  the  surf  on  the 
beach,  with  the  groaning  of  the  trees,  extinguished  all 
hope. 

No  more  firing  was  heard,  and  nothing  but  the  black 
ness  of  night  surrounded  me,  and  the  cry  of  the  angry 
blast  filled  my  ears.  I  became  insensible  and  fell  back  in 
my  bed  without  life  or  motion.  When  I  again  opened 
my  eyes,  the  light  of  a  bright  spring  morning  flashed  upon 
them,  and  although  the  wind  had  gone  down,  the  angry 
rush  of  the  surf  was  still  to  be  heard  thundering  upon  the 
shore ;  and  there,  yes  there,  not  far  at-  sea,  and  plainly 
beneath  my  sight,  and  in  full  view,  lay  part  of  the  hull  of 
the  once  famous  "Rover,"  dismasted,  dismantled,  and 
beating  her  ribs  out  upon  an  outer  bar  or  reef.  I  saw 
that  she  could  not  last  long,  and  that  no  human  being- 
could  have  survived  the  preceding  night.  I  should  have 
said  that,  before  the  pirates  sailed,  they  had  buried  the 
men  who  had  been  killed  upon  the  island;  but  I  saw 
plainly  that  many  bodies  would  now  be  swept  on  shore 
that  would  never  see  Christian  or  any  other  burial  but 


TAKING  THE   BEARINGS.  291 

that  of  the  white,  glistening  sands  of  the  beach,  and  the 
maws  of  insatiable  sea  monsters ;  whilst  I  thought  even, 
the  vessel  was  fast  breaking  up  under  my  eye,  each  mighty 
wave,  hitting  her  seaward  bulwark,  was  thrust  high  into 
air,  passing  over  and  burying  her  in  an  ocean  of  spray  and 
water  such  as  no  handiwork  of  man  could  long  resist.  At 
each  succeeding  appearance,  masses  of  the  hull  had  dis 
appeared,  and  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  how  soon 
some  twelve  million  of  dollars  in  gold  and  silver,  guarded 
by  a  crew  of  some  eighty  resolute  men  when  in  their 
senses,  who  had  gone  before,  would  be  buried  in  the  ocean 
forever.  I  could  not  take  my  eyes  from  the  scene,  but 
mechanically  felt  for  my  jar  of  water  with  one  hand, 
whilst  I  kept  my  attention  fixed  upon  the  wreck. 

After  looking  and  dozing  for  hours,  I  again  fell  asleep, 
and  when  I  awoke  it  was  nearly  sundown,  and  yet  the 
cruel  sea  was  beating  over  the  remains  of  the  hull,  which 
were  greatly  diminished,  and  I  bethought  myself  —  weak, 
sick,  and  feverish  as  I  was  —  to  line  the  position  from  my 
hut  before  she  had  wholly  disappeared.  This  I  did  by 
moving  my  head  and  body  slightly  till  I  brought  the  frame 
of  my  southerly  window  on  its  southeasterly  side  to  range 
with  a  small  fir-tree  that  stood  some  thirty  feet  distant, 
whicli  was  in  a  line  with  the  wreck.  I  scratched  with  my 
thumb-nail  a  mark  upon  the  window-frame  where  my  eye 
glanced,  and  upon  the  trunk  of  the  tree  I  picked  out  a 
small  peculiar  branch  which  aligned  upon  the  wreck.  I 
then,  with  my  right  hand,  cast  some  wood  that  was  within 


292  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

my  reach  upon  the  fire  not  far  distant,  and,  over-exerted 
by  all  this,  fell  again  into  slumber  and  unconsciousness. 
It  was  well  into  the  next  day  before  I  regained  my 
senses,  and  my  first  glance  was  for  the  brig,  but  not  a 
vestige  of  her  was  to  be  seen,  although  the  ocean  was  as 
calm  and  blue  as  an  inland  lake,  and  nothing  but  my 
bearing  told  me  the  place  where  she  had  gone  to  pieces. 

My  wound  was  a  very  peculiar  one.  It  will  be  remem 
bered  that  the  ball  had  passed  completely  through  my 
body,  breaking  no  bone,  and  only  injuring  my  left  lung 
above  the  heart  and  just  under  the  shoulder  blade.  I  had 
not  lost  much  blood,  and  the  doctor,  when  he  left  me,  gave 
me  strong  hopes  of  recovery,  if  I  could  lie  perfectly  still 
for  at  least  a  week.  On  this  morning  I  found  my  fever 
much  better  and  my  appetite  returning,  and  my  wound 
much  less  painful,  but  stiff.  I  crawled  from  my  cot  with 
the  greatest  care,  and  renewed  my  fire  from  the  hidden 
hot  ashes,  and  soon  had  a  good  blaze ;  for  it  was  chilly  dur 
ing  the  nights,  although  I  had  ample  bed-clothing  of  all 
kinds  heaped  about  me.  I  remained  in  bed  for  three  days 
more,  when  I  mustered  courage  to  leave  my  cot  and  stag 
ger  to  a  chair,  where  I  sat  down  near  the  fire.  I  remained 
here  during  the  day,  and  at  night  crept  back  again  to  tho 
bed  and  closed  the  shutter  of  my  open  window  (the  door 
and  other  window  had  been  closed  during  all  my  sickness) 
and  dropped  to  sleep.  The  next  day  I  was  able  to  move 
about  quite  well,  and  the  orifice  of  my  wound  in  the  back 
had  healed,  but  the  front  still  discharged  and  was  not 


293 

closed.  I  was  troubled  with  a  hacking  cough,  but  with 
the  exception  of  this,  on  the  tenth  day,  could  waddle 
around,  and  even  into  the  open  air,  and  procure  some  of 
the  pure  spring  water  near  the  hut.  Thus  I  went  on  till 
the  first  of  October,  getting  better  and  better  each  day, 
and  making  rapid  progress  towards  health.  The  first  ex 
cursion  I  made  was  towards  the  shores  of  the  bay,  but  not 
a  sign  of  my  late  comrades  in  crime  could  I  discover.  I 
also  carefully  cut  upon  the  fir-tree,  with  my  knife,  a  notch 
deep  and  enduring  in  the  trunk,  that  lined  or  ranged  upon 
the  place  where  the  wreck  had  last  been  seen  by  my  eyes, 
and  at  the  exact  height  to  have  the  range  pierce  the 
water  at  the  very  spot,  not  more  than  four  or  five  miles 
distant.  After  these  two  first  cares,  I  began  to  look  about 
me  and  see  what  I  had  to  live  upon.  My  arms  were  left 
me,  as  also  was  a  small  bottle  of  ink  that  I  had  brought 
on  shore  to  keep  the  daily  account  of  the  crew,  tides,  etc., 
and  several  sheets  of  parchment.  These,  with  my  pipe,  a 
little  tobacco,  quite  a  quantity  of  ammunition,  my  cutlass, 
a  tomahawk,  and  knife,  formed  my  little  store.  To  be 
sure  I  had  my  wooden  cot-bed  and  plenty  of  bedding,  but 
this  was  all.  I  knew  that  sweet  potatoes  had  been  planted 
upon  the  island  in  several  places,  and  that  at  least  three 
female  and  one  male  goat  had  also  been  landed;  and  as  I 
was  fast  getting  tired  of  my  dry  bread  and  salt  provisions, 
I  commenced  taking  small  trips  upon  the  seashore,  bring 
ing  home  eggs,  fish,  oysters,  mussels,  etc.,  and  thought  at 
one  time  that  my  troubles  were  all  over,  and  that  my 


294  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

wound  was  healed,  but  as  the  orifice  closed,  I  commenced 
to  cough  more  violently  than  before,  and  in  the  morning 
my  throat  was  filled  with  phlegm.  And  as  the  middle  of 
the  month  advanced,  I  became  weaker  and  weaker,  and 
felt  that  my  end  was  near,  or,  if  not,  it  was  important 
that  I  should  guard  against  all  accidents,  and  for  that  rea 
son  I  have  written  this  short  memoir  of  my  life  and  placed 
it  here,  to  stand  as  a  witness  for  me,  in  case  of  accident  or 
death,  that  my  solitude  and  wound  have  brought  me  to  a 
proper  state  of  mind  to  view  my  life  with  utter  abhorrence, 
and  to  pray  to  God  in  my  poor  miserable  way  to  forgive 
me,  if  it  be  possible  to  forgive  so  great  a  sinner  as  I.  On 
this,  the  20th  of  October,  1781,  I  place  this  jar  in  its  rest 
ing-place,  having  had  the  hole  to  receive  it  long  excavated. 
I  am  too  weak  to  even  get  in  and  out  of  my  bed,  and  have 
spread  my  clothing  upon  the  floor  of  my  hut,  where  I  can 
move  about  easier  in  the  night  and  get  at  anything  I  may 
want.  I  close  this  history  here,  and  I  ask  all  good  Chris 
tians  to  pray  for  my  soul  should  God  take  me  away.  It 
will  take  me  days  now  in  my  weak  state  to  cover  this  up 
so  that  the  weather  and  water  cannot  reach  it.  I  feel  that 
my  days  are  numbered.  May  the  finder  of  my  riches 
make  good  use  of  them,  and  give  largely  to  the  poor,  and 
have  masses  said  for  the  repose  of  the  blood-stained 

soul   of 

THOMAS  SUTLAND. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Finding  of  the  Sunken  Wreck.    The  Submarine  Explosion  of  the  Hull. 
Recovery  of  over  Ten  Millions  in  Bars  of  Gold  and  Silver. 

THIS,  then,  was  the  history  of  my  predecessor ;  and  his 
legacy  consisted  of  millions  of  dollars  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  He  no  doubt  thought  that  some  of  it  could  be 
recovered,  as  he  said,  "  with  skill  and  fortitude ;  "  per 
haps  by  anchoring  some  boat  over  the  reef,  and  fishing  for 
it,  or  in  some  such  lame  way  as  that.  He  had  little  idea, 
when  he  wrote  this  eighty  years  ago,  that  it  would  be 
read  by  a  mortal  who  had  invented  a  submarine  boat,  and 
built  it  from  materials  drawn  from  the  very  bowels  of 
this  very  island,  and  who  could  descend  and  examine 
every  part  of  his  famous  pirate  ship.  The  reading  of 
this  history  set  my  impulsive  nature  to  work  at  once  to 
acquire  the  lost  treasure.  But,  to  do  this,  I  must  first  find 
out  where  it  lay, — its  exact  locality;  and  I  very  much 
feared  that  time  had  effaced  the  marks  that  aligned  upon 
the  spot,  and,  if  so,  T  might  search  for  it  in  vain. 

But  what  was  the  use  of  my  regaining  it?  Inside  of 
my  brain  I  was  continually  answered,  "  You  will  escape  ! 
you  will  escape!  and  with  this  treasure,  added  to  your 
stock  of  pearls  and  ownership  of  the  island,  with  its 
mineral  wealth  of  coal,  iron,  saltpetre,  and  sulphur,  you 

295 


296  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND, 

will  be  the  richest  man  in  the  world.  With  these  in 
dustries  once  developed,  your  submarine  boats  multi 
plied,  and  pearl  oysters  procured  by  thousands,  and  your 
island  peopled  with  contented  and  happy  working  people, 
not  even  the  Rothschilds  or  Barings  will  be  able  to  com 
pete  with  you." 

Having  carefully  put  aside  the  manuscript  that  I  had 
just  finished  reading,  I  went  on  shore  to  see  if  I  could 
find  any  sings  of  the  bearings  upon  the  spot  where  the 
"  Rover  "  had  formerly  gone  to  pieces.  On  the  window- 
frame  mentioned,  I  found,  although  defaced  by  the 
weather,  a  deep  cut  made  in  the  general  direction 
pointed  out,  which  was  no  doubt  the  one  referred  to; 
and,  encouraged  by  this,  I  picked  out  with  my  eye  several 
trees  of  the  species  referred  to  in  the  manuscript,  between 
me  and  the  sea,  that  I  thought  might  be  the  one  desig 
nated  ;  and,  having  chosen  three  that  seemed  likely  ones, 
I  went  towards  them  to  look  for  the  notch  that  I  ought 
to  find  cut  in  one  of  their  trunks.  I  found  it  instantly  on 
the  first  tree  I  approached,  which  had  seemed  to  me  the 
most  likely.  There  it  was,  plainly  marked  upon  the  side 
of  the  trunk,  —  grown  over,  to  be  sure,  and  the  tree  evi 
dently  old  and  time-worn,  —  but  showing  that  the  wound 
in  its  side  had  been  made  with  deliberation  and  care,  and 
such  as  would  occur  from  no  natural  cause.  Being- 
satisfied  upon  this  point,  I  went  back  to  the  hut  and 
placed  my  eye  along  the  bearings,  and  found  that  my 
sight  struck  the  ocean  at  some  four  or  five  miles  distant. 


BUKYING   THE   SKELETON.  297 

This  was  sufficient  for  the  present ;  so,  getting  back  to 
my  yacht,  I  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep,  it  being  now  nearly 
dusk.  In  the  morning  I  got  under  way,  and  stood  out 
of  the  bay  and  rounded  Eastern  Cape  for  home,  and  soon 
ran  up  Stillwater  Cove,  and  found  everything  all  right  at 
the  Hermitage.  I  then  went  to  work  and  made  two 
sheet-iron  discs,  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  which  I 
mounted  upon  iron  rods  fully  fifteen  feet  in  length.  I 
whitewashed  one  of  these  with  a  preparation  of  lime, 
and  left  the  other  its  natural  dark  color.  I  then,  after 
caressing,  feeding,  and  attending  to  my  flock  of  goats  and 
barn-yard  fowl,  again  set  out  for  Mirror  Bay,  taking  these 
targets  with  me.  Arriving  safely,  I  soon  had  them  on 
shore,  and,  after  an  hour  or  two  of  measurements  and 
calculations,  had  them  driven  into  the  ground  so  as,  when 
in  line  with  each  other,  to  point  to  the  same  position  on 
the  surface  of  the  ocean,  as  the  old  marks  were  supposed 
to  do,  except  that  they  stood  clear  of  all  intervening 
trees  or  obstructions,  and  could  be  seen  from  the  sea 
ward  perfectly  well.  Having  these  all  arranged,  I  went 
to  work,  and,  with  care  and  decency,  transferred  the 
bones  of  my  predecessor  to  the  hole  excavated  under  the 
tree,  and,  reverently  placing  them  within,  I  said  a  prayer 
or  two  for  the  repose  of  his  soul,  and  covered  them  care 
fully  up.  This  being  done,  I  made  my  way  back  to  the 
Hermitage,  and  arranged  everything  about  the  submarine 
boat  to  start  early  the  next  day  to  look  for  the  pirate 
ship  beneath  the  waves  of  the  ocean. 


298  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

Bright  and  early  I  started  down  Stillwater  Cove  in  the 
steam  yacht,  carrying  my  treadmill  team  of  goats  and  all 
necessary  things  for  my  trip.  At  the  mouth  of  the  cove 
I  hauled  alongside  of  the  submarine  boat  lying  quietly  at 
anchor,  and,  leaving  the  "Fairy"  and  steam  yacht,  I 
went  on  board,  rigged  the  pendant  steps,  and  started  my 
goat-power  propeller,  and  headed  out  of  Perseverance 
Bay  and  around  Eastern  Cape.  The  day  was  a  beautiful 
one ;  so  smooth  was  the  ocean  that  I  did  not  have  to 
descend  beneath  it,  but  held  on  my  way  with  the  man 
hole  wide  open  ;  and.  my  goats  by  this  time,  by  repeated 
trips,  had  become  quite  good  sailors  and  did  not  seem  to 
mind  a  little  swell  any  more  than  old  salts  would  have 
done.  My  progress  in  this  clumsy  boat  was  not  as  fast  as 
in  the  beautiful  and  graceful  steam  yacht ;  and  I  was 
seven  hours  making  the  neighborhood  of  where  I  ex 
pected  to  find  the  wreck.  I  stood  on  till  I  obtained  a 
good  view  of  my  white  and  black  discs.  The  one  nearer 
the  sea  being  black,  I  sailed  along,  in  the  first  place,  till  I 
brought  the  two  in  line,  and  then,  the  white  disc  appear 
ing  above  the  black  one,  I  commenced  sailing  in  towards 
the  land,  still  keeping  them  on  a  line,  till  the  former 
gradually  sank  down,  seemingly,  behind  the  face  of  the 
latter,  when  I  stopped  the  boat,  fastened  down  the  man 
hole,  and  descended.  When  I  arrived  near  the  bottom  I 
let  out  my  buoy  line  to  the  surface,  and  found  that  I  was 
in  nine  fathoms  of  water,  and  no  sign  of  a  reef  of  any 
kind,  a  firm  sandy  bottom  appearing  before  me.  I  there- 


SEARCHING   FOR   THE   WRECK.  299 

fore  still  pointed  the  boat  by  compass  towards  the  shore, 
and  commenced  slowly  creeping  forward.  I  had  not 
advanced  more  than  a  few  hundred  yards  before  the 
abrupt  walls  of  a  solid  reef  met  rny  view.  I  ran  near  to 
it,  and  then,  by  pumping,  ascended  towards  the  surface, 
along  its  face,  till  I  arrived  at  the  top,  which  I  found  by 
my  surface  lend  line  to  be  not  quite  three  fathoms  be 
neath  the  water.  If-  any  reader  should  ask  how  I  knew 
how  much  a  fathom  was,  I  would  simply  say  that  every 
sailor  becomes  used  to  measuring  off  fathoms  of  rope 
during  his  sea  life,  and  finally  becomes  so  skilful  as  to 
measure  fifty  and  sixty  fathoms  of  line,  and  not  be  but  a 
few  inches  out  of  the  way,  by  grasping  a  piece  of  rope 
and  stretching  it  at  arm's  length  across  the  breast,  which, 
with  two  inches  added,  in  a  man  of  my  stature,  should  be 
just  six  feet,  or  one  fathom,  and  by  this  measurement  as  a 
standard  was  my  floating  surface  lead  line  marked,  and 
it  agreed  substantially  with  the  foot  standard  that  I  had 
made  from  my  thumb  joint,  as  heretofore  described. 
When  I  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  reef,  I  knew  in  a  mo 
ment  that  if  I  had  lived  on  this  side  of  the  island  I 
should  in  some  heavy  gales  have  seen  the  surf  break  in 
this  spot ;  for,  by  calculation  of  the  tide,  which  was  now 
nearly  at  high  water,  this  reef  must  at  times  be  within 
eight  or  nine  feet  of  the  surface  at  dead  low  water ;  and 
in  gales  of  wind  I  could  readily  believe  that  the  surf 
would  break  over  it.  Having  made  all  these  discoveries 
and  calculations,  but  with  no  signs  of  the  wreck,  I  again 


300  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

descended  half  way  down  the  nearly  perpendicular  face 
of  the  reef  towards  the  smooth  bottom  at  its  base.  It 
was  a  strange  formation,  rising  abruptly  from  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  five  or  six  fathoms,  like  the  walls  of  a  citadel. 
I  saw  plainly  that  a  vessel  could  at  one  moment,  by  a  cast 
of  the  lead,  get  nine  fathoms,  and  in  the  very  next  find 
herself  hard  and  fast  upon  the  reef,  if  she  drew  over  eigh 
teen  feet  of  water.  Holding  myself  in  equilibrio  at  about 
half  distance  from  the  surface  and  the  bottom,  I  moved 
cautiously  along  the  face  of  this  wall  to  the  eastward, 
looking  for  my  prize.  I  went  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  this  direction  without  result,  and,  turning  about,  I 
retraced  my  steps  and  made  to  the  westward,  feeling  sure 
that  at  the  base  of  this  barrier  lay  the  sunken  pirate  ship, 
and  that  she  had  never  probably  passed  above  its  surface; 
for,  having  nothing  else  to  do,  I  had  already  calculated 
by  means  of  my  Epitome  what  the  state  of  the  tide 
would  have  been  on  the  evening  of  the  23d  or  24th  of 
September,  1781,  at  midnight;  and,  knowing  by  the 
pirate's  manuscript  that  it  was  probably  on  one  of  those 
nights  that  the  "  Rover "  was  lost,  and  that  an  error  of 
a  day  would  only  make  one  hour  error  in  the  calculation, 
I  was  enabled  to  find  out  that  it  was  high  water  on  those 
days  at  5  or  6  P.  M.,  and  that  the  vessel  must  have  struck 
the  reef  at  very  nearly,  if  not  quite,  dead  low  water, 
when  it  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  surface,  and,  being 
bilged,  the  rising  tide  would  not,  even  during  the  storm, 
lift  her  one  inch,  but  only  hold  her  upon  the  jagged 


BUOYING   THE   ROVER.  301 

edges,  whence  she  must  eventually  drop  to  the  tranquil 
waters  at  the  base.  I  felt  confident  that  this  theory  was 
correct,  and  that  I  had  only  to  move  along  this  rocky 
face  till  I  came  to  the  spot  where  the  vessel  had  finally 
fallen  back  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  ;  and  such  was  the 
case,  for  as  I  was  thinking  out  the  problem  in  my  own 
head,  lo !  and  behold  !  there  lay  the  wreck  nearly  beneath 
my  feet,  not  fifty  yards  distant. 

I  approached  it  with  awe,  and  held  myself  suspended 
in  the  water  above  it.  I  then  descended  and  circum 
navigated  it  in  all  possible  directions,  and  ended  by 
dropping  a  grapnel  near  to  it,  attached  to  a  good 
strong  line  ending  in  a  buoy,  which  I  pushed  under 
the  tanks,  and  allowed  to  ascend  to  the  surface  to 
mark  its  position  for  me  in  the  future.  I  then  set  my 
air-boat  at  work,  and  soon  had  enough  new  air  to  fill  rny 
exhausted  tanks,  and  to  rise  to  the  surface  and  take  off 
the  man-hole  cover  and  look  about  me.  I  saw  that  my 
discs  were  a  little  off,  and  that  the  wreck  lay  a  little 
nearer  shore  and  more  to  the  southward  than  where  they 
pointed.  But  they  had  fulfilled  their  part;  they  were 
henceforward  useless.  I  had  found  the  wreck,  and  had 
it  buoyed  so  as  to  be  able  to  again  find  it,  and  should  I 
lose  it  by  the  buoy  being  washed  away  at  any  time  in  a 
storm,  the  very  variation  in  the  discs  from  the  true  direc 
tion,  now  known,  would  show  me  where  to  look.  I  again 
descended  and  commenced  examining  my  prize.  She  lay 
upon  her  side,  perfectly  free  from  sand  or  rocks,  and  had 


302  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

evidently  not  moved  since  she  sank  back  from  the  rocky 
summit  to  her  cradle  at  the  base.  She  was  terribly  beaten 
and  worm-eaten,  and  both  masts  had  evidently  been  cut 
away,  as  the  pirate  captain  in  his  manuscript  supposed. 
Her  ribs  were  exposed,  and  her  decks  torn  up,  and  innu 
merable  barnacles  and  shell-fish  had  fastened  upon  her 
timbers.  Still  falling  back  into  this  comparatively  tide- 
less  and  quiet  abyss,  she  had  changed  very  little,  I  should 
think,  from  the  day  she  sank,  over  eighty  years  ago.  And 
as  she  lay  I  saw  that  I  had  another  problem  to  solve,  and 
that  was  to  get  at  the  riches  she  contained  still  confined 
in  her  hull  as  in  an  immense  casket.  I  saw  plainly  that  I 
should  have  to  blow  open  the  hull  to  get  at  what  I  wanted 
and  expose  it.  In  the  meanwhile  I  was  fascinated  with 
the  thousand  and  one  old-fashioned  shapes  about  the  hull 
that  struck  my  eye,  —  the  peculiar  long  brass  eighteen 
pounders,  some  of  which  lay  beside  her,  covered  with 
barnacles,  but  yet  showing  their  shape  and  general  forma 
tion  ;  the  blunt  bows  of  what  the  pirate  captain  had 
termed  a  fast-sailing  vessel ;  the  comical  anchors,  and 
peculiar  formation  of  the  decks,  that  to  me,  as  a  sailor,  were 
very  interesting.  She  looked  to  me  more  like  Noah's  ark 
than  the  vessel  of  a  civilized  nation.  How  rapidly  and 
almost  imperceptibly  had  we  advanced  in  this  science 
since  this  tub  was  called  a  vessel,  fast,  strong,  and  staunch  ; 
and  how  many  hours  would  she  have  been  able  to  keep  in 
sight  a  modern  clipper-ship,  much  less  overtake  her.  In 
comparison  to  the  latter  she  seemed  like  a  ship's  jolly-boat. 


PREPARE   A    SUBMARINE   BLAST.  303 

And  so  indeed  she  was,  being  about  300  tons,  as  against 
the  2,000  and  2,500  tons  ship  of  my  day  and  time. 

Having  satisfied  my  curiosity  and  seen  that  the  grapnel 
to  the  watch-buoy  held  all  right,  I  drew  in  some  new  air, 
rose  to  the  surface,  and  made  for  Mirror  Bay,  not  over 
four  miles  distant.  I  ran  up  to  the  river's  mouth  near  the 
hut  and  came  to  an  anchor,  and  made  all  snug  about  the 
boat,  and  then,  tethering  out  the  goats  on  the  shore,  I 
struck  out  manfully  for  home  across  the  island,  for  I  saw 
plainly  that  I  should  have  to  make  Mirror  Bay  my  head 
quarters  for  some  time  to  come, 'and  that  I  must  get  home 
and  bring  together  all  the  powder  I  possessed,  and  the 
steam  yacht. 

I  had  a  pleasant  walk  home  of  about  four  miles  with 
out  difficulty,  as  during  the  last  two  years  I  had  several 
times  before  crossed  the  island  in  this  direction,  but  not 
often.  I  put  everything  to  rights  at  the  Hermitage,  and 
then  with  the  steam  yacht  I  visited  Eastern  Cape,  East  and 
West  Signal,  and  Penguin  Points,  and  gathered  together 
all  the  gunpowder  placed  there  beside  the  cannon  mounted 
at  those  stations.  I  added  to  this  stock  nearly  all  I 
possessed  at  the  Hermitage  before  starting,  and  at  the  end 
of  two  days  made  my  way  back  to  Mirror  Bay,  stopping 
at  South  Cape,  and  getting  all  the  powder  there.  Arriv 
ing  at  Mirror  River,  I  found  my  poor  goats  glad  enough 
to  welcome  me  back.  Putting  all  the  powder  I  possessed 
together,  I  should  think  that  there  was  perhaps  fifty  pounds 
in  all.  This  I  put  carefully  by  itself  in  the  deserted  hut, 


304  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

and,  taking  the  steam  yacht,  returned  to  the  Hermitage 
and  my  workshop.  It  was  busy  days  with  me  now,  and  I 
scarcely  gave  myself  time  to  eat  and  drink.  In  my  work 
shop  I  made  a  thin  cylinder  of  sheet  iron  that  would  con 
tain  my  fifty  pounds  of  powder,  but  before  bolting  it 
together,  and  making  it  water  and  air-tight,  I  arranged  in 
the  interior  two  flint  locks,  exactly  like  the  locks  to  a  gun, 
only  larger.  My  cylinder  was  in  the  shape  of  a  large 
painter's  oil  can,  which  it  resembled.  Out  of  the  mouth 
of  this  can  came  four  strings,  two  of  which  would  cock 
the  locks,  attached  inside,  and  two  attached  to  the  triggers 
would  fire  them  off,  or  rather  release  the  hammer  so  that 
the  flint  would  strike  upon  a  steel  plate  attached  to  the 
side  of  the  interior.  These  were  kept  free  also  from  the 
powder  with  which  the  can  was  to  be  filled,  by  placing 
the  latter,  when  to  be  exploded,  upon  its  side,  with  the 
locks  uppermost  and  clear ;  the  capacity  of  the  can  being 
much  greater  than  the  amount  of  powder  to  be  placed 
within  it,  at  least  one  third. 

Having  my  infernal  machine  all  made,  and  having  ex 
perimented  with  the  strings  leading  out  of  the  mouth,  and 
finding  that  I  could  cock  one  or  both  locks  and  fire  them 
by  pulling  the  opposite  string,  I  set  sail  again  for  Mirror 
Bay.  I  had  made  my  infernal  machine  with  two  locks 
simply  that,  if  one  did  not  explode  the  charge,  the  other 
might.  Arriving,  I  went  on  shore  with  it  and  filled  it 
with  the  powder  there  stored,  taking  good  care  first  to 
see  that  the  hammers  of  the  two  locks  in  the  interior  were 


A   DANGEROUS    EXPERIMENT.  305 

down  upon  the  steel,  and  not  cocked  ready  for  a  discharge. 
Till  they  were  cocked,  the  powder  was  as  safe  in  the  can 
as  in  any  other  utensil  in  which  it  could  be  stored.  And 
now,  being  all  ready,  I  went  on  board  the  submarine  boat 
for  my  final  test. 

I  made  my  way  to  the  wreck,  and,  descending,  was  soon 
balanced  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  main  hatch,  which  was 
partially  open,  and  large  enough  to  admit  ten  cans  of  the 
size  of  mine.  And  now  came  the  dreadful  moment  in 
which,  under  the  sea,  and  far  from  any  helping  hand,  I 
must  cock  these  locks  within  the  can,  surrounded,  as  they 
were,  by  the  powder.  It  was  a  supreme  moment.  I  loved 
my  life  in  spite  of  its  solitude.  If  anything  was  wrong 
in  my  mechanism,  I  should  in  a  moment  more  be  blown 
to  atoms,  and,  if  not  now,  perhaps  whilst  lowering  the 
machine  into  the  hold  of  the  vessel.  I  finally  mustered 
up  courage  to  pull  upon  the  string  attached  to  one  of  the 
cocks,  first  placing  the  can  upon  its  side,  and  heard  it 
cock  inside ;  but  with  fear  and  trembling  I  slackened  the 
cord  that  cocked  it,  and  I  did  not  have  nerve  enough  to 
cock  the  other,  but,  forcing  in  a  plug  at  the  orifice,  which 
had  already  been  fitted  and  had  grooves  for  the  four 
strings,  I  smeared  the  whole  over  with  resin  that  I  melted 
in  a  lighted  candle  near  me.  With  a  sailor's  caution  the 
four  strings  leading  into  the  can  had  been  nicely  coiled 
upon  the  tanks  ready  to  pay  out  of  themselves  as  the  can 
should  descend  into  the  hold  of  the  vessel  through  the 
open  hatchway.  Lashed  to  the  outside  of  the  can,  I 


306  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

should  have  said,  was  a  large  bar  of  iron,  sufficiently 
heavy  to  make  it  descend  in  spite  of  the  air  it  contained. 
It  was  with  a  beating  heart  that  I  dropped  the  whole 
concern  into  the  water,  by  a  line  attached  to  the  middle, 
and  commenced  shoving  it  with  my  boat  hook  into  the 
hole  in  the  main  hatch  where  it  was  to  be  exploded. 
During  all  this  time  I  had  the  pleasant  sensation  that  if 
the  small  cord  attached  to  the  trigger  should  become 
entangled  in  any  way,  and  pull  with  any  strain,  the 
charge  would  be  exploded,  and  I  should  be  blown  to 
atoms.  The  cold  perspiration  stood  upon  my  brow,  but 
finally,  with  a  careful  but  strong  push,  the  can  entered  the 
open  hatchway  and  descended  quietly  to  the  side  of  the 
vessel,  where  it  rested.  I  immediately  cast  off  from 
the  grapnel  that  held  me  near  the  wreck,  and  let  the  sub 
marine  boat  float  away  with  what  little  tide  there  was, 
paying  out,  as  she  drifted,  the  small  line  attached  to  the 
trigger,  a  pull  upon  which,  any  time  during  the  last  fifteen 
minutes,  would  have  been  certain  death.  As  the  line 
began  to  run  out  quite  freely  I  began  to  breathe  again ; 
and  when  several  fathoms  had  run  out,  so  that  I  knew  I 
was  some  way  distant  from  the  wreck,  I  began  to  find 
relief  to  my  overtaxed  brain,  and  felt  that  I  was  again 
safe,  and  even  as  I  paid  out  the  small  line  I  thanked  God 
fervently  and  sincerely.  Feeling  now  sure  that  I  was 
beyond  harm,  I  commenced  to  work  the  pump  and  to 
ascend,  and  at  the  same  time  to  drift  further  away,  as  I 
did  not  know  what  the  result  of  the  explosion  might  be. 


THE   EXPLOSION.  307 

When  I  had  arrived  at  as  near  the  surface  as  the 
pump  would  carry  me,  and  felt  confident,  from  the 
amount  of  string  I  had  paid  out,  that  I  was  far 
enough  away  to  be  out  of  danger,  I  gathered  in  all 
the  slack  line,  and  then,  with  one  strong,  quick  jerk, 
I  proved  the  practical  value  of  my  machine.  In  one 
instant  the  result  was  conveyed  to  my  ears  by  a  subdued 
murmur,  and  the  effect  by  a  motion  conveyed  to  the  boat 
as  if  she  had  been  upon  the  surface  of  the  ocean  instead 
of  beneath  it.  I  was  perfectly  well  aware  that,  when  I 
pulled  the  string,  the  sealed  plug  in  the  orifice  of  the 
can,  through  which  the  string  led,  would  be  pulled  out, 
and  let  in  the  water;  but  the  same  action  would  also 
discharge  the  flint  upon  the  steel  inside  and  cause  the 
explosion  at  the  same  instant,  before  one  drop  of  water 
could  enter,  or  else  I  should  have  fifty  pounds  of  powder 
wasted.  But  the  muffled  roar  and  the  commotion  of  the 
water  told  me  that  my  mechanical  ingenuity  had  not 
failed  me,  and  that  my  powder  had  been  exploded  if 
nothing  else  had  been  accomplished. 

I  commenced  to  descend  again  and  make  my  way 
towards  the  wreck,  but  was  met  with  such  a  mass  of 
muddy,  stirred-up  water,  that  I  was  glad  to  throw  a  grap 
nel  to  the  bottom,  and  lie  quietly  till  it  had  passed  by  with 
the  slow  motion  of  the  tide.  When  the  water  had  become 
again  clear,  I  advanced,  and,  arriving  at  last  over  what  had 
been  the  hull  of  the  wreck,  I  looked  down  upon  what 
might  have  been  considered  a  vast  bird's  nest,  of  which 


308  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

the  late  timbers  of  the  hull  formed  the  twigs,  outline,  and 
shape  of  the  nest,  inextricably  locked  together  and  inter 
laced,  and  in  the  centre  of  which  appeared,  in  place  of 
enormous  eggs,  in  relative  size  to  the  bird's  nest,  a  large, 
irregular  mass  of  still  yellow  and  shining  metal,  although 
in  many  places  tarnished  and  dim,  that  seemed  in  quantity 
greater  than  the  mind  of  man  had  ever  conceived.  I 
descended  upon  this  treasure  and  hooked  up  bar  after  bar, 
which  I  placed  upon  my  hanging  shelves  till  I  could  take 
no  more,  and,  renewing  my  air  with  the  air-boat,  I  made 
my  way  to  Mirror  Bay,  and  landed  my  precious  freight. 

My  next  work  was  to  bury  my  treasure  where  it  would 
be  safe,  and  for  this  purpose  I  excavated  a  large,  square 
hole  in  the  earth  near  to  the  ruined  hut.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  after  many  weary  trips,  extending  through  months,  I 
had  recovered  and  buried  in  safety  at  least  ten  millions  of 
money,  besides  having  saved  six  of  the  brass  eighteen- 
pounders,  and  a  large  quantity  of  copper  spikes  and  bolts. 
Whilst  at  this  work  I  came  often  upon  the  skulls  and 
bones  of  the  men  who  had  once  manned  this  pirate  craft, 
mixed  in  with  the  debris  of  the  wreck.  Whilst  I  was 
engaged  in  this  labor  I  had  to  make  trips  to  the  Hermitage, 
and  look  after  my  flock,  and  prepare  food  for  myself,  and 
this  was  by  far  the  busiest  year  that  I  had  ever  yet  had 
on  the  island.  After  carefully  covering  up  my  treasure 
I  conveyed  all  the  copper  bolts  and  the  old  eighteen- 
pounders  to  my  workshop  at  the  Hermitage,  on  the  steam 
yacht,  where  they  would  be  extremely  useful  to  me,  as 


USELESS    WEALTH.  309 

heretofore  I  had  had  no  brass  or  copper,  and  I  often  felt 
the  need  of  them  in  my  mechanical  arts.  I  also  obtained 
from  the  wreck  a  small  quantity  of  lead  in  different  forms, 
which  was  also  very  acceptable.  Having  gathered  all 
these  riches  about  me,  was  I  happier  than  before?  I 
often  asked  myself  this  question,  and  was  obliged  to 
answer  it  in  the  negative.  The  very  acquisition  of  this 
enormous  wealth  made  me  impatient  of  restraint,  and 
more  and  more  determined  to  solve  the  problem  of  my 
escape.  I  had  the  knowledge  of  being  the  possessor  of 
this  immense  amount  of  money,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  painful  conviction  that  at  present  it  was  worth  to 
me  no  more  than  the  sand  on  the  seashore. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Chess  and  backgammon  playing.  Fortification  of  the  island.  Team  of 
white  swans.  Goats  as  servants,  and  opponents  in  backgammon  playing. 

YES,  here  I  was,  with  the  wealth  of  an  emperor  around 
me,  and  not  one  penny  available,  in  any  shape  or  manner. 
The  acquisition  of  so  much  wealth  had  changed  my  whole 
plans ;  I  no  longer  dared  to  leave  the  island,  for  fear  that 
somebody  might  discover  it  during  my  absence  and  claim 
it  for  their  own,  and  not  even  allow  me  to  land  upon  it 
again,  much  less  become  possessed  of  the  immense  trea 
sure  that  I  had  buried  upon  it,  and  which  I  could  only 
take  away  by  the  assistance  of  others,  and  they  under  my 
own  command  and  discipline.  Much  as  I  had  bemoaned 
my  fate  in  being  cast  on  shore,  I  now  feared  to  leave  the 
island  that  I  had  so  long  hated.  The  acquisition  of  riches 
had  brought  its  usual  curse,  and  from  being  almost  happy 
and  contented  I  had  returned  to  a  state  of  petulance  and 
nervousness,  similar  to  that  which  I  suffered  under  during 
the  first  two  years  of  my  enforced  captivity. 

The  time  had  come  when  I  felt  confident  that  I  could 
leave  the  island  in  some  way,  in  safety,  and  I  did  not  dare 
to,  —  did  not  dare  to  run  the  risk  of  someone's  coming  to 
the  island  during  iny  temporary  absence,  and  remaining 
upon  it.  My  common  sense  told  me  that  I  had  waited 
310 


FORTIFYING   THE   ISLAND.  311 

years  enough,  and  seen  no  one,  and  that  no  one  would 
come  in  my  absence,  whilst  my  miserly  cupidity  and  un 
natural  nervousness  told  me  that  it  would  be  just  my  luck 
to  leave  it  and  return  and  find  it  occupied,  and  all  my 
labors  lost ;  for  how  could  I  expect  to  obtain  any  legal 
proceedings  to  help  me,  or  prove  my  claim,  should  such 
happen.  I  well  knew  that  in  these  seas  justice  was  little 
recognized,  and  that  my  return  and  claims  would  be 
scoffed  at  by  any  who  might  have  replaced  me  during  my 
absence.  I  was  atr  last  placed  in  the  woeful  predicament 
of  seeing  myself  aching  and  longing  for  freedom,  and 
afraid  to  accept  it  should  it  be  offered  me.  In  fact,  my 
cupidity  overcame  my  other  desires  so  greatly  that  I 
passed  my  time  at  this  season  in  improving  all  my  forti 
fications,  and  making  myself  as  strong  as  possible  to 
resist  any  attack  that  might  be  made  upon  me.  I  even 
went  so  far  as  to  experiment  in  the  direction  of  torpedoes, 
to  be  placed  at  the  mouth  of  Stillwater  Cove,  and  in  Per 
severance  Bay  and  Mirror  Bay,  to  be  exploded  by  elec 
tricity  should  I  be  attacked.  I  did  not,  however,  con 
summate  this  work,  but  had  it  strongly  in  mind. 

I  also,  at  this  time,  built  a  small  harbor  at  the  mouth 
of  Stillwater  Cove,  and  enclosed  the  entrance  by  old 
stumps  and  broken  limbs  of  trees,  to  conceal  it,  into 
which  I  conveyed  the  submarine  boat  and  steam  yacht, 
when  not  in  use.  The  "Fairy"  I  could  easily  conceal 
near  the  Hermitage,  —  but  then,  if  an  enemy  ever  got  as 
far  as  this,  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  conceal  the 


312  t         PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

sawmill  and  foundry,  and  other  works  below  the  falls.  I 
was  so  frightened  at  this  time  of  being-  visited,  that  I 
built  a  battery  of  four  guns,  to  rake  the  whole  of  Still- 
water  Cove,  about  half  a  mile  below  the  Hermitage,  and 
to  stop  the  advance  of  any  enemy  in  that  direction.  I 
well  knew  that,  if  it  was  known  what  wealth  I  had 
accumulated,  I  should  stand  little  chance  of  ever  enjoying 
it,  unless  some  man-of-war  should  discover  me.  It  would 
be  very  easy  for  some  trader  or  whaler  to  dispose  of  me, 
and  acquire  my  wealth,  and  the  world  never  hear  of  it. 
Thousands  of  tragedies  occur  in  these  seas  of  which  the 
world  never  hears,  as  I  was  well  aware.  My  gold  and 
silver  I  had  buried  at  Mirror  Bay,  and  my  pearls  I  now 
buried,  with  care,  in  a  corner  of  the  Hermitage. 

At  one  time  I  bethought  me  of  making  a  trip  to  Easter 
Island,  in  my  submarine  boat,  and  see  if  I  could  not 
induce  the  natives,  if  any,  to  make  me  their  chief,  and  if 
so,  to  return  and,  with  their  aid,  build  a  large  vessel,  and 
carry  off  my  treasure  to  their  island,  or  carry  back 
enough  of  them  to  mine  to  aid  me  in  navigating  me  to 
some  neutral  port,  having  first  fully  armed  her  and  taught 
them  seamanship.  But  if  I  left  the  island,  I  had,  in  the 
first  place,  to  run  the  chance  of  striking  Easter  Island,  and, 
having  done  that,  the  greater  chance  of  ever  again  being- 
able  to  find  my  own  island.  This,  added  to  the  risk  of 
submarine  navigation,  which  I  had  before  thought  over, 
deterred  me.  I  only  seemed  to  be  able  to  make  up  my 
mind  to  one  thing,  and  that  was  to  protect  myself  in  all 


c 


— -t 


PLAYING  BACKGAMMON  WITH  THE  GOAT.  — PAGE  313. 


CHESS    AND    BACKGAMMON.  313 

possible  ways  from  assault,  and  to  try  and  study  out  some 
way  to  escape  with  my  treasure  in  safety. 

After  some  months  of  this  worry,  I  commenced  to 
return  to  myself  again  in  a  measure,  and,  having  no 
work  of  any  magnitude  on  hand,  I  amused  myself  in 
many  ways  to  change  the  monotony  of  my  existence. 
Amongst  other  things  that  I  invented  for  my  amuse 
ment  were  a  nice  chess-board  and  men.  I  had  been 
fond  of  the  game  for  many  years,  and  I  used  in  the  even 
ing  to  pit  myself  against  an  imaginary  opponent  and  set 
to  work.  I  always  played  strictly  according  to  rule,  and 
never  took  a  move  back  or  allowed  my  adversary  to  do 
so  ;  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  how  hard  I  tried  to  beat 
my  other  self.  I  wiled  awray  many  weary  evening  hours 
in  this  way,  and  also  with  a  pack  of  parchment  cards, 
with  which  I  played  solitaire,  to  my  heart's  content.  But 
my  greatest  game,  and  one  in  which  I  took  the  most 
interest,  was  backgammon,  which  I  played  with  my  pet 
goat.  I  had  here  to  move  for  both  the  goat  and  myself ; 
but  the  excitement  consisted  in  the  fact  of  my  making 
him  take  the  dice-box  in  his  mouth  and  shake  out  his  own 
dice,  so  that  I  really  played  against  somebody  in  part.  I 
increased  this  excitement  by  pitting  one  goat  against  the 
other  and  making  each  throw  the  dice,  when  I  would 
make  the  move  and  reward  the  winner  by  a  little  morsel 
of  sugar,  or  something  of  which  he  was  fond.  I  also 
managed  to  make  myself  quite  a  serviceable  flute,  upon 
which  I  performed  by  ear  all  the  old  tunes  I  could  re- 


o±  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

member ;  and,  to  preserve  them,  I  marked  the  notes  in  a 
rough  style  on  parchment;  but,  only  knowing  their  names 
as  A,  B,  C,  etc.,  I  simply  marked  down  these  letters  to 
denote  any  tune,  heading  it  with  the  name,  as  "  Yankee 
Doodle,"  a,  a,  #,  c,  a,  a  </#,  6,  — a,  a,  5,  c,  a,  g#.  I  did 
not  know  enough  about  music  to  keep  any  other  record, 
but  by  this  method  I  felt  that  I  could  preserve  the  tunes 
that  I  now  knew,  so  as  to  enjoy  them  in  my  old  age,  if 
God  willed  it  that  I  should  never  escape  from  this  cursed 
island.  At  this  time  I  did  not  know  what  it  was  to  want 
for  anything:  each  year  my  harvests  had  been  greater 
and  greater,  and  I  now  enjoyed  both  apples  and  pears  in 
great  abundance.  With  saltpetre  and  salt,  and  my 
smoking-house,  I  was  able  to  preserve  all  the  meat  of  all 
kinds  that  I  desired,  and  my  larder  and  ice-house  was 
overstocked  instead  of  understocked,  and  I  had  every 
thing  that  heart  could  desire  ;  and  yet,  since  my  success 
ful  attempt  at  both  the  pearl  fishery  and  the  sunken 
treasure,  I  had  been  unhappy  and  discontented.  Up  to 
this  time  I  had  scarcely  seen  an  hour's  sickness  since 
being  upon  the  island. 

It  was  wonderful  how  good  God  had  been  to  me; 
but  the  delightful  climate,  and  my  out-door  life  and  pure 
water  and  good  wholesome  food,  had  all  tended  to  sustain 
me ;  but,  with  my  inventive  mind,  I  did  not  intend  to  be 
caught  napping,  even  in  this  respect,  so  to  work  I  went 
to  educate  my  goats  as  servants,  in  case  I  should  be 
seriously  ill.  I  taught  one,  after  repeated  attempts  and 


MY   GOAT    SERVANTS.  315 

great  attention,  to  take  a  little  pail  that  I  had  made  for 
him,  and,  at  my  command,  go  to  the  river  and  fill  it  with 
water,  and  bring  it  to  me  at  my  bedside.  After  months 
of  teaching,  this  goat  would  at  last  do  this  duty  as  well 
as  the  best  trained  servant,  and  finally  I  taught  him  so 
perfectly  that  I  could  get  into  my  bed,  touch  a  little  bell 
that  I  had  made,  one  tap,  when  he  would  immediately 
look  about  for  his  little,  pail,  in  whatever  part  of  the  Her 
mitage  it  might  be,  and,  finding  it,  march  off  to  the  river, 
fill  it  with  water,  and  bring  it  back,  and  place  it  always 
in  just  the  same  spot,  upon  the  low  sideboard  or  table, 
beside  my  bed.  The  other  pet  I  taught  to  bring  me  a 
small  bag  of  flour  that  was  kept  for  that  purpose.  As  I 
have  before  said,  on  a  shelf  near  the  bed  I  had  already 
placed  a  lamp,  spare  oil,  matches,  flint  and  steel,  and  all 
the  simple  remedies  that  I  had,  with  candles  and  a  sort 
of  night  lamp  that  I  had  constructed,  with  kettle  and 
basin  attached.  I  did  not  know  how  soon  I  might  be 
attacked  at  any  moment  with  fever  and  delirium,  and  I 
was  determined  to  do  all  possible  beforehand,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  help  myself  in  my  days  of  necessity ;  hence  my 
teaching,  so  that,  when  too  weak  to  move,  I  might  rely 
upon  my  pet  goats  for  good,  pure,  fresh  water  and  a  little 
food  fit  for  gruel.  This  teaching  was  an  amusement  for 
me,  and  not  a  task;  and  it  was  amazing  how  intelligent 
these  animals  became,  and  how  fond  I  was  of  them  and 
they  of  me. 

I  had  noticed  that  there  were  upon  Mirror  Lake,  when 


316  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

I  had  visited  it  upon  several  occasions,  some  magnificent 
swans,  and,  having  nothing  better  in  my  head  to  do,  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  capture  some  of  them  to  transplant  to  the 
Hermitage.  I  made  many  futile  attempts  before  I  could 
fix  upon  a  plan  to  secure  any  of  them.  I  could  at  times 
have  shot  some  of  them,  for  they  were  not  very  wild,  but 
that  was  not  what  I  wanted.  Finally,  after  studying  their 
habits,  I  ascertained  exactly  where  they  nestled  on  shore  at 
night  to  roost,  which  was  near  some  stunted  trees  on  the 
westerly  side  of  the  lake.  I  made  myself  a  large  net  of 
strong  grass  twine  and  rawhide,  nearly  forty  feet  square, 
with  the  meshes  at  least  a  foot  apart,  so  that  the  work  was 
not  a  very  hard  or  laborious  one.  Armed  with  this  in  the 
daytime,  whilst  the  swans  were  away,  either  in  the  centre 
of  the  lake  or  elsewhere,  I  visited  their  resting-place,  and 
attached  it  to  the  trees  and  different  uprights,  and  arranged 
it  so  that  it  could  be  drawn  down  and  over  them  at  one 
pull  by  a  cord  which  I  led  out  into  the  lake  a  long  distance 
and  buoyed  there.  Having  arranged  all  my  apparatus  to 
suit  me,  I  left  it  alone  for  at  least  a  month,  not  even  going 
near  it ;  when  one  fine  moonlight  night  I  started  early, 
before  sundown,  across  the  island  to  the  lake.  Hiding 
myself  in  the  long  grass  and  trees  on  the  border,  I  saw  my 
friends  the  swans,  .about  eighteen  in  number,  take  their 
way  for  their  usual  roosting-place,  and  as  the  light  shut 
down  I  stripped  off  my  clothing  and  swam  out  boldly  for 
the  buoy  in  the  lake,  which  was  not  over  two  hundred 
yards  distant  from  me,  but  at  least  four  hundred  from 


FIGHT   AND   CAPTURE   SWANS.  317 

them.  Arriving  at  it,  I  grasped  the  line  and  gave  one 
tremendous  pull  with  all  my  strength,  and  such  a  flapping 
of  wings  and  squalling  was  never  heard.  All  the  fowl  in 
the  vicinity  —  and  there  were  large  numbers  —  got  on 
the  wing  and  commenced  making  night  hideous.  I 
hastened  ashore,  and,  slipping  on  a  few  clothes,  made  my 
way  at  a  run  to  the  place  where  the  net  had  been 
sprung.  It  was  as  I  expected ;  several  of  the  swans  had 
become  entangled,  and,  having  thrust  their  heads  through 
the  large  meshes,  were  endeavoring  to  make  their  enor 
mous  bodies  follow  through  the  same  hole,  at  the  same 
time  foolishly  threshing  about  with  their  wings  and  trying 
to  fly.  It  was  well  that  my  net  was  mostly  of  rawhide, 
for  I  found  the  creatures  terribly  strong  and  fierce,  but 
after  a  fight  of  over  two  hours  I  was  in  possession  of  six 
fine  large  swans,  as  beautiful  creatures  as  could  well  be 
imagined.  All  of  these  I  bound  with  rawhide,  with  their 
wings  to  their  sides,  and  small  lashings  around  their  bills, 
for  I  found  that  they  could  attack  with  them  quite  fiercely. 
After  having  carefully  bound  them  so  that  they  could  not 
escape,  and  for  further  protection  drawn  the  net  about 
them,  I  made  my  way  home,  leaving  them  where  they  lay 
for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  early  I  appeared  on  the  scene  with 
the  canoe,  having  come  around  in  the  steam  yacht  to  the 
river,  which  I  had  ascended  as  far  as  practicable,  and  then 
taken  to  the  canoe.  I  soon  had  my  splendid  great  fellows 
all  in  the  boat,  and  thence  into  the  steam  yacht  in  a  very 


318  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

short  time,  when  I  proceeded  leisurely  home  by  the  West 
ern  Cape,  as  I  wanted  to  see  how  that  part  of  my  island 
looked.  I  saw  nothing  strange  or  novel,  except  the  pen 
guins  on  Penguin  Point,  who  were  drawn  up  as  usual  in 
martial  array,  and  I  could  not  help  wishing  that  I  had  a 
few  brave  and  devoted  sailors  with  me  at  this  time.  How 
soon  we  would  make  the  forests  of  this  island  echo  with 
the  stroke  of  our  axes,  and  how  soon  would  a  strong, 
staunch  vessel  arise  from  the  stocks  at  Rapid  River ;  one 
that  could  stand  the  weather  well  enough  to  make  the 
trip  with  ease  to  Valparaiso  or  the  Sandwich  Islands,  or 
some  other  civilized  place. 

Arriving  home,  I  made  some  arrangements  for  my  new 
guests,  and  riveted  upon  one  leg  of  each  a  long  rawhide 
rope,  which  was  made  fast  to  a  stake  on  the  border  of  the 
river.  For  the  first  few  days  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
fluttering,  sputtering,  and  squalling,  but,  being  careful  not 
to  feed  them  all  this  time,  I  soon  brought  them  to  sub 
jection,  and  in  less  than  a  month's  time  they  would  eat  out 
of  my  hand.  I  then  went  to  work  and  made  a  long,  light 
whip,  with  which  I  educated  them  each  day  for  two  more 
months.  In  the  intervals,  I  was  at  work  in  the  workshop, 
and  turned  out  two  cylinders,  shaped  like  cigars,  about 
eight  feet  long  and  one  foot  in  diameter,  made  of  rolled 
iron  little  thicker  than  common  sheet-iron.  Upon  these, 
placed  distant  from  each  other  about  six  feet,  I  fitted  a 
nice  little  deck  and  an  easy,  comfortable  chair.  Having 
this  all  completed  and  arranged,  I  launched  it  in  Still- 


A   TEAM   OF   SWANS.  319 

water  Cove,  and  brought  it  over  near  the  Hermitage.  I 
then  made  a  broad  piece  of  skin  that  would  slip  over  the 
head  of  each  swan  and  rest  against  the  breast,  to  which 
was  attached  a  small  cord.  Putting  one  of  these  yokes  upon 
each  of  my  swans,  I  drove  them  down  to  where  the  boat 
or  car  was  resting ;  for  I  had  trained  them  so  that  they 
would  obey  the  whip  just  as  well  if  not  better  than  a  yoke 
of  oxen.  Having  arrived  at  the  car,  I  attached  them  by 
yokes  of  two  to  a  central  rope  attached  to  the  car,  and, 
cracking  my  whip,  set  off  on  a  tour  of  pleasure  down 
Stillwater  Cove.  Did  ever  man  drive  such  a  car  and  team 
before  ?  and  yet  it  was  by  just  such  artifices  as  these  that 
I  kept  myself  from  going  mad  and  gave  myself  excite 
ment  and  pleasure.  No  one  knows,  till  they  have  tried,  how 
easily  the  birds  of  the  earth  are  taught.  I  had  often  seen 
a  Chinaman  make  the  cormorant,  fish  for  him  all  day  long, 
and  make  his  body  of  ducks  that  he  was  watching  as  obe 
dient  as  so  many  dogs.  I  knew  that  my  team  of  swans 
was  of  no  practical  use  to  me,  but  it  was  a  pleasure,  and 
that  was  sufficient.  They  certainly  made  a  magnificent 
sight,  moving  over  the  quiet,  pure  waters  of  Stillwater  Cove, 
and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that,  if  I  should  be  dis 
covered  now,  I  should  be  taken  for  Xeptunc  or  some 
merman  of  the  ocean  disporting  himself  with  his  favorite 
team.  Having  taken  a  good  long  ride,  I,  with  a  snap  of 
my  whip,  turned  my  team  about  and  made  towards  home. 
Home!  yes,  thnt  was  the  word;  it  had  really  become 
home,  and  more  so  than  ever  since  I  had  become  so  rich.  I 


320  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  try  and  solve  the  problem 
which,  if  solved,  would  separate  me  from  my  island  and 
my  riches,  and  yet  I  could  not  go  on  in  this  way ;  I  must 
make  up  my  mind,  and  that  quickly ;  I  must  do  something ; 
I  must  choose.  If  I  feared  to  trust  my  submarine  boat,  I 
could  make  a  catamaran  on  a  large  scale,  almost  exactly  on 
the  same  plan  as  the  car  I  was  now  seated  upon,  which 
could  not  capsize  or  sink  ;  a  life  raft,  or,  better  yet,  I  could 
construct  a  boat  wholly  of  iron,  with  water-tight  compart 
ments  ;  but  who  was  to  steer  whilst  I  slept,  —  my  goat  ?  — 
and  who  was  to  take  care  of  my  island  during  my  absence 
and  keep  it  safe  from  all  inquisitive  eyes  ?  I  suppose  I 
should  have,  perhaps,  used  up  years  thinking  of  this  matter, 
if  my  attention  had  not  been  drawn  to  other  affairs  almost 
as  startling  as  any  that  had  yet  befallen  me,  making  me 
almost  believe  that  I  was  to  be  driven  crazy  by  accumula 
tion  of  wealth  which  I  was  not  to  be  allowed  ever  to  enjoy 
or  spend.  It  occurred  to  me  to  make  a  gunning  expedition 
to  Mirror  Lake,  to  obtain  some  of  the  wild  ducks  that 
were  so  plenty  there.  And  having  now  a  little  lead,  I  was 
able  to  make  shot,  with  which  I  was  more  successful  than 
with  the  steel  bullets.  With  this  intention  I  went  to  Mirror 
River  in  the  steam  yacht,  prepared  to  stop  for  a  few  days 
and  enjoy  the  sport,  and  what  happened  me  there  I  will 
go  on  to  relate. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Discovery  of  gold.  Turn  the  stream  out  of  the  lake,  and  build  portable 
engine  to  separate  the  gold. 

I  STARTED  with  the  canoe  to  the  mouth  of  Stillwater 
Cove,  having  first  attended  to  my  numerous  flocks,  and 
put  on  board  two  of  my  best  guns,  with  some  lead  bullets 
and  shot,  and  provisions  for  some  time,  and  also  carrying 
with  me  my  two  inseparable  friends,  the  pet  goats.  When 
I  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  cove,  I  entered  the  concealed 
harbor,  and  got  out  the  steam  yacht  and  commenced  put 
ting  her  in  order.  I  soon  had  a  fire  built  under  the  boil 
ers,  and  in  an  hour's  time  was  all  ready  to  set  out.  Leaving 
the  canoe  behind  me,  I  pushed  out  of  the  cove  into  Per 
severance  Bay,  and  made  my  way  to  the  west  about  for 
Mirror  Bay.  I  arrived  safely  and  in  good  season,  and 
landed  to  examine  my  treasure-ground,  and  found  the 
grass  growing  over  it  nicely,  and  it  seemed  well  concealed. 
Going  on  board  again,  I  pointed  the  yacht  up  the  river 
towards  the  lake.  I  had  heretofore  always  stopped  before 
reaching  the  latter,  for  fear  of  striking  the  bottom  on  ac 
count  of  shoal  water,  but  I  now  made  up  my  mind  to 
proceed  in  a  cautious  manner  into  the  lake  itself,  if  pos 
sible.  I  thought  that  there  was  water  enough  if  I  oould 
keep  clear  of  any  boulders  or  rocks  that  might  possibly  be 

321 


322  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

concealed  beneath  the  water.  The  yacht  did  not  draw 
over  three  feet,  and  I  felt  confident  that  she  could  carry 
that  draft  to  the  lake  if  she  could  be  kept  clear  from  any 
unknown  obstructions.  So  I  steamed  along  very  carefully 
and  slowly,  and  often  left  the  helm  to  rush  forward  and 
look  over  the  bows,  and,  oftener  yet,  stopped  the  boat 
completely  and  examined  ahead  before  proceeding.  In 
this  manner  I  advanced  towards  the  lake  slowly  but 
surely,  taking  land  marks  as  I  went  on  to  enable  me  to 
return  without  injuring  my  craft  by  running  her  upon 
any  submerged  danger.  At  last  the  lake  opened  before 
me,  and  with  a  few  careful  turns  of  the  propeller,  I  soon 
floated  upon  its  surface  safe  and  sound.  The  moment  the 
yacht  came  in  sight,  numbers  of  swans  and  other  fowl 
commenced  to  rise  from  different  parts  of  the  lake,  and 
take  their  departure  to  more  quiet  and  distant  places.  I 
knew,  however,  that  I  had  not  disturbed  them  greatly,  and 
that  they  would  return  during  the  day,  flock  after  flock. 
I  kept  on  across  the  lake  to  the  mouth  of  a  little  brook 
pouring  into  it,  not  over  fifteen  feet  wide,  and,  entering 
this,  I  ran  on  for  about  a  hundred  yards,  till  the  water 
commenced  to  shoal  and  to  be  filled  with  numerous  rocks. 
Here  I  moored  the  yacht  carefully  to  the  bank  and  went 
on  shore.  I  had  no  occasion  to  build  any  fire  or  erect  any 
habitation.  The  steam  yacht  served  me  for  home,  kitchen, 
bedroom,  and  parlor,  and  I  had  on  board  of  her  every 
thing  that  possibly  could  be  asked  for.  Tethering  out  my 
two  pet  goats,  I  took  with  me  two  of  my  guns  and  quite 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  323 

a  lot  of  ammunition,  and  the  small  landing  skiff,  and 
made  my  way  back  again  to  the  lake.  I  carried  with 
me  also  some  twelve  or  fifteen  nice  decoy  ducks,  that 
I  had  made  of  wood  and  dyed  with  black  and  red 
colors,  similar  to  the  ducks  that  frequented  the  lake. 
These  I  anchored  at  an  easy  gunshot  from  the  shore,  and 
then,  landing,  took  out  my  guns  and  ammunition,  which 
I  carefully  placed  on  the  sand,  and,  shouldering  the 
boat,  carried  it  into  the  bushes  near  by  and  concealed 
it  carefully.  I  then  went  to  work  with  a  hatchet  and 
cut  down  some  of  the  small  cedar  and  fir  trees  with 
which  the  back  part  of  the  shore  of  sand  was  lined,  and 
soon  had  them  driven  into  the  sand  near  the  edge  of  the 
water,  and  converted  into  a  blind,  from  which  I  could 
shoot  into  the  flocks  of  ducks  and  geese  that  might  come 
to  my  decoys  without  being  seen  by  them.  Even  whilst  I 
was  at  work,  several  flocks  were  almost  willing  to  alight, 
hovering  over  my  decoys,  but  finally  departing  as  they 
saw  me  at  work.  When  I  had  everything  to  suit  me,  I 
retired  into  my  blind  and  waited  for  a  chance  for  a  good 
shot.  I  used  to  shoot  well  with  a  percussion  gun  in 
younger  days,  but  I  had  too  little  lead  now,  and  too  little 
practice,  to  try  and  kill  these  birds  on  the  wing  with  a 
flint-lock  gun,  and  my  only  chance  was  to  wait  till  a 
whole  flock  settled  down,  when  I  intended,  by  a  discharge 
of  one  gun  whilst  they  were  in  the  water,  and  another  as 
they  arose,  to  get  as  many  as  possible ;  and  that  it  may 
not  be  thought  that  I  must  have  had  a  great  stomach  for 


324  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

ducks,  I  would  say  that  I  intended  to  pick  and  preserve 
these  birds  in  saltpetre  and  salt,  to  use  during  the  winter 
seasons,  and  to  make  of  their  feathers  a  nice  soft  mat 
tress. 

I  had  not  long  to  wait  before  a  small  flock  settled  to 
my  decoys,  and,  after  sailing  about  a  little,  became  dis 
gusted  and  made  off  before  I  could  fire.  But  after  them 
came  a  larger  lot  that  settled  boldly  down,  and  as  I  had 
found  out  that  they  would  not  long  remain  ignorant  of 
the  cheats  that  had  enticed  them,  I  let  drive  at  once  into 
their  midst  with  one  gun,  and  gave  them  the  other  as  they 
rose  to  fly  away.  As  the  result  of  my  fire,  I  counted 
eleven  large  ducks  dead  upon  the  water  and  three  badly 
wrounded,  which  I  soon  despatched  by  hastening  to  the 
shore  with  my  light  landing  boat  and  killing  them  with  a 
boat-hook,  and,  picking  up  my  dead,  brought  onto  the 
shore  fourteen  nice  fat  ducks.  I  then  drew  up  my  boat 
and  wraited  for  more  shots,  but  the  discharge  had  made 
the  others  somewhat  wary ;  but  finally  my  patience  was 
rewarded  with  two  other  good  shots  during  the  day,  in 
which  I  bagged  three  geese  and  seven  more  ducks.  With 
this  game  I  made  my  way  back  to  the  yacht,  highly 
pleased  with  my  day's  sport.  I  had  noticed,  both  to-day 
and  in  my  former  trips  to  the  lake,  that  the  species  of 
duck  that  I  had  shot  were  divers,  and  seemed  to  get  their 
food  by  seeking  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  for  it,  and  par 
ticularly  at  this  place  where  the  spring  water  poured  into 
it  from  this  brook  or  inlet,  which  evidently  arose  in  a 


MOKE   GOLD.  325 

mountain  back  of  me,  and,  fed  by  springs,  enlarged  so  as 
to  pour  into  the  lake  quite  a  volume  of  pure  water.  As 
I  had  to  name  everything  upon  the  island,  I  called  this 
brook  Singing  Water  Brook,  on  account  of  the  low  musi 
cal  murmur  that  was  wafted  to  my  ears  from  the  miniature 
falls  and  rocks  over  which  it  bounded,  gurgled,  and  found 
its  way,  further  in  the  interior,  where,  from  the  sound,  it 
evidently  was  more  rapid  in  its  descent  from  higher 
ground,  but  distant  enough  not  to  be  noisy,  but  musical,  in 
its  progress  towards  the  lake. 

I  first  went  to  work  and  picked  my  whole  twenty-one 
ducks  and  the  three  geese,  carefully  saving  all  the  feath 
ers.  I  then  proceeded  to  open  them  preparatory  to  salt 
ing  them  away  in  casks  which  were  on  board  of  the  yacht, 
that  I  had  brought  for  that  purpose.  I  had  opened  and 
dressed,  I  should  think,  some  five  or  six,  when  I  became 
curious  to  know  what  food  they  fed  upon,  and  to  know  if 
it  was  to  obtain  it  that  they  kept  diving  below  the  surface. 
To  settle  this  problem  I  grasped  with  my  left  hand  the 
gizzard  of  the  duck  that  I  had  just  dressed,  and,  observing 
that  it  was  well  inflated,  I  drew  my  knife  across  it  to  ex 
pose  its  contents.  It  seemed  to  contain  the  usual  amount 
of  sand  and  gravel,  and  a  sort  of  semi-digested  food  that 
I  was  unable  to  determine  as  to  whether  it  was  fish,  flesh, 
fowl,  or  good  red  herring.  As  I  was  picking  the  mass  to 
pieces  with  my  hands,  I  laid  open  to  view  quite  a  large 
pebble,  fully  as  large  as  a  pea,  that  was  as  yellow  as  gold. 
I  pounced  upon  it,  for  I  had  seen  too  much  virgin  gold  in 


326  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

California  and  Australia  not  to  know  it.  I  had  it  not  one 
moment  in  my  hand  before  my  sight  and  its  weight  con 
vinced  me  that  it  was  indeed,  in  verity,  a  pure  golden 
nugget. 

Could  it  be  possible  ?  I  had  heard  before  of  gold  being 
taken  from  the  crops  of  chickens  bought  in  Siam  and  on 
the  coasts  of  Africa,  but  I  never  before  had  credited  the 
stories ;  but  here  before  my  eyes,  in  all  its  unmistakable 
purity,  lay  a  piece  of  virgin  gold.  Then  it  was  this  that 
my  ducks  were  gathering  with  their  other  food,  mistaking 
it  probably  for  some  kind  of  grain.  To  work,  therefore,  I 
went  upon  all  of  the  gizzards  of  my  slain,  and  my  search 
was  rewarded  by  the  finding  of  seven  pieces  more,  two 
much  larger  than  the  first  specimen  obtained,  fully  as 
large  as  beans,  and  the  others  much  smaller.  When  I  had 
buried  my  treasure,  I  had  kept  out,  to  have  on  hand  at  the 
Hermitage,  several  of  the  ingots  of  gold  and  two  or  three 
of  the  bars  of  silver ;  why,  I  do  not  know,  but  it  was  hu 
man  to  have  a  little  amount  of  gold  and  silver  near  at 
hand,  —  for  what  I  cannot  say ;  but  it  was  natural,  and  pro 
bably  arose  from  former  education  and  habit.  I  was  not 
yet  perfectly  content  with  the  evidences  of  my  senses  or 
the  malleability  of  the  metal  before  me,  which  I  tested  by 
beating  one  of  the  pieces  with  a  hammer ;  but  before  I 
would  wholly  give  myself  up  to  the  belief  that  my  dis 
covery  was  really  gold,  I  intended  to  make  a  certain  and 
positive  test.  Stories  ran  through  my  head  of  vessels  in 
olden  times,  which  made  voyages  to  the  East  Indies,  re- 


TESTING    MY   DISCOVERY.  327 

turning  home  with  what  they  considered  gold  ore  in  bal 
last,  which  only  turned  out  upon  arrival  to  be  simply  mica 
or  silica.  Whalers  also,  as  I  had  heard,  had  given  up 
whole  voyages  and  filled  their  casks  in  different  parts  of 
the  world  with  worthless  earth,  thinking  that  they  had 
become  possessed  of  the  wealth  of  the  universe.  I  was 
not  to  be  deceived  in  this  manner.  I  determined,  as  I  have 
said,  to  make  a  final  and  complete  test  before  I  gave  my 
self  up  to  the  excitement  that  would  undoubtedly  attend 
my  magnificent  discovery,  if  true.  For  this  purpose  I  left 
all  my  ducks  and  geese,  except  two  for  cooking  purposes, 
and  made  my  way  as  rapidly  as  possible  back  to  the  steam 
yacht,  and,  although  it  was  nearly  sunset,  got  under  way 
and  started  back  to  the  Hermitage  with  my  precious  peb 
bles  or  nuggets  with  me.  I  arrived  safely  by  the  aid  of  a 
magnificent  moon,  and  ran  into  Stillwater  Cove  and  up 
to  the  Hermitage,  when  I  moored  the  yacht  and  went 
on  shore  and  into  my  bed  ;  but  a  restless  night  I  made  of 
it,  and  early  morning  saw  me  at  work  in  the  foundry  at 
my  proposed  test.  In  the  first  place  I  went  to  work  and 
made  a  nice  pair  of  balances  of  steel,  with  little  pans  on 
each  side  to  contain  the  substance  to  be  weighed.  I  then 
went  to  work  and  made  a  mould  of  iron,  by  boring  out  a 
small  oval  hole  with  my  steel  drills  in  the  face  of  two  pieces 
of  steel,  which  I  hinged  together  exactly  like  a  bullet 
mould,  only  much  smaller. 

After  having  everything  arranged  I  set  to  work  and 
smelted  a  portion  of  one  of  my  golden  ingots,  and  whilst 


328  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

in  this  fused  state  I  moulded  several  golden  bullets  in 
my  mould,  some  ten  or  twelve  in  number.  I  then  put 
the  remainder  of  the  gold  away,  cleaned  out  the  crucible 
perfectly,  and  put  my  nuggets  in  it  and  smelted  them,  and 
with  them  made  also  eleven  impressions  of  my  mould  in 
the  shape  of  bullets.  I  kept  these  far  from  the  others,  so 
as  not  to  get  things  mixed.  I  then  placed  one  of  the 
true  bullets  of  gold  in  one  pan  of  the  balance,  and  added 
small  clippings  of  iron  in  the  other  pan,  till  it  was  exactly 
balanced.  I  then  took  it  out  and  replaced  it  by  one  of 
the  bullets  made  from  the  metal  I  had  found.  The  prob 
lem  was  solved,  —  they  were  exactly  of  a  weight,  or,  rather, 
so  nearly  so  that  a  minute  atom  of  iron  dust  added  to  the 
pan  preserved  the  balance,  for  my  metal  bullet,  proved  by 
the  very  slightest  degree  to  be  the  heavier.  Yes,  this  was 
gold, —  gold  beyond  peradventure ;  but,  to  satisfy  my  mind, 
I  weighed  and  weighed  them  by  one  and  by  twos,  and  by 
fours  and  by  fives ;  always  with  the  same  result,  scarcely 
a  hair's  breadth  between  them.  Practically,  they  were 
exact.  I  knew  that  no  other  metal  could  approach  gold  in 
weight  so  as  to  deceive  me  beyond  this  test.  I  was  living 
on  an  island  that  was  a  vast  gold  mine,  or  at  least  contained 
it  in  large  quantities ;  for  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to 
have  found  seven  nuggets  in  a  few  ducks  unless  the  bot 
tom  of  the  lake  was  strewed  with  them  at  or  near  the 
mouth  of  Singing  Water  Brook,  which  must  have  poured 
them  into  the  lake  for  ages,  carrying  them  along  from 
their  first  resting-place,  the  mountain,  to  the  westward 


PLANNING    MY   GOLD-MINE.  329 

from  which  it  took  its  rise.  Convinced  that  my  discovery 
was  real  and  true,  I  gave  myself  up  to  all  manner  of  day 
dreams,  and  it  was  a  week  before  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
return  to  the  lake  and  explore  further.  At  times  I  gave 
up  the  idea  of  gathering  any  of  this  gold  that  I  now  knew 
lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  and  at  others  the  desire  to  be 
possessed  of  it  all  swayed  me  also.  But,  finally,  dreaming 
gave  way  to  my  natural  temperament,  and  I  made  all  pre 
parations  possible  to  secure  my  prize.  Should  I  pen  in  a 
portion  of  the  lake  opposite  the  mouth  of  Singing  Water 
Brook,  turn  the  latter  aside,  lay  bare  the  bottom  of  the 
lake  and  sift  and  examine  the  sand?  Alas,  this  would 
take  great  time  and  pains,  and  I  was  afraid  also  that  the 
water  would  be  forced  back,  after  I  had  pumped  it  out, 
though  the  sand  of  which  the  bottom  was  formed.  Should 
I  lower  the  outlet  of  the  lake  so  as  to  draw  off  the  water 
in  a  degree  ?  This  was  not  very  feasible,  as  it  was  already 
quite  deep,  and  it  would  take  great  time  and  application 
to  deepen  it  enough  to  draw  off  the  water  of  the  lake  to 
any  extent.  No,  I  had  another  plan  than  this,  which  I 
finally  decided  upon,  and  that  was  to  use  the  submarine 
boat.  Having  fixed  upon  the  means,  I  hastened  to  put 
them  into  execution.  I  made  all  my  preparations,  and, 
taking  the  submarine  boat  in  tow  of  the  steam  yacht, 
made  my  way  back  to  Mirror  Lake.  I  had  some  trouble 
it  getting  the  former  into  the  lake,  but  finally  succeeded 
after  considerable  labor.  I  had  provided  myself  with 
some  utensils,  to  pan  out  the  sand  with,  and  also  a 


330  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

rocker,  that  I  had  built  to  be  placed  on  shore,  and  worked 
by  a  belt  from  a  driving-wheel  of  the  steam  engine  of  the 
yacht,  which  I  had  attached  to  it  for  that  purpose  only, 
intending  to  use  it  by  anchoring  the  yacht,  disconnecting 
the  propeller  gear,  and  leading  the  belt  from  the  rocker 
on  shore  to  the  engine  room  of  the  yacht,  and  thence  to 
the  driving-wheel  attached.  Let  it  suffice  to  say  here 
that  during  my  long  stay  at  Mirror  Lake  I  made  weekly 
trips  to  the  Hermitage  and  attended  to  my  flocks,  but 
gave  up  all  idea  of  making  butter,  and  only  brought  a  few 
of  my  female  goats  to  this  side  to  give  me  milk. 

Having  gotten  the  submarine  boat  into  the  lake,  I 
made  a  descent  in  it  and  examined  the  bottom.  It  was 
almost  wholly  of  pure  sand.  The  water  varied  from  a 
depth  of  a  few  feet  near  the  margin  to  about  three 
fathoms  near  the  centre.  I  saw  several  kinds  of  fish 
but  none  of  large  size.  Having  made  this  examination, 
I  commenced  upon  the  work  before  me  of  finding  the 
gold.  I  went  quite  near  to  the  mouth  of  Singing-Water 
Brook,  and  descended  and  filled  the  tops  of  the  tanks 
with  sand  from  the  bottom,  failing  to  find  any  nuggets 
with  the  eye  ;  but  I  afterwards  found  several  in  different 
trips,  but  never  many  or  of  very  large  size.  Having 
loaded  the  boat,  I  arose  to  the  surface,  and  beached 
her  near  the  mouth  of  the  brook,  and  landed  my  sand 
in  baskets  upon  the  shore.  I  then  went  to  work  with 
the  pan  and  washed  it  in  the  mouth  of  the  brook,  and 
as  the  result  of  this  one  trip  gathered  together  more  gold- 


PLACER-MINING.  331 

dust  and  small  nuggets  than  I  could  hold  in  one  hand. 
This  was  placer  mining  with  a  vengeance,  the  cream  of 
all  mining  while  it  lasts.  But  I  felt  that  I  was  going 
back-handed  to  work ;  so  the  next  day,  instead  of  coming 
on  shore  with  my  sand,  I  took  the  pan  into  the  submarine 
boat,  and  as  I  pulled  it  up  with  a  sort  of  long-handled 
shovel,  washed  it  then  and  there  in  the  water  of  the  lake 
inside  the  submarine  boat ;  but  this  again  was,  during  a 
long  day,  tiring  to  my  brain,  as  I  had  to  keep  renewing 
the  air  by  rowing  the  boat  ashore,  for  it  was  too  shallow 
to  use  the  air-boat,  and  I  had  long  ago  given  up  the  idea 
of  using  the  spray-wheel  except  in  case  of  actual  neces 
sity,  .the  air-boat  superseding  it. 

Here  I  was  in  the  ninth  year  of  my  captivity,  working 
hard  in  my  own  gold-field.  I  worked  nearly  six  months 
of  this  year,  at  all  spare  moments,  in  this  manner,  occas 
ionally  shovelling  sand  into  the  rocker  on  shore,  which 
I  procured  from  the  edges  of  the  lake  near  the  mouth 
of  the  brook,  just  under  water,  and  extracting  the  gold- 
dust  by  means  of  a  belt  from  the  steam  yacht.  I  was 
quite  successful  with  this  method  also,  but  the  largest 
quantity  of  the  dust  had  evidently  been  for  ages  swept 
into  the  lake  opposite  the  mouth  of  Singing  Water 
Brook.  I  also  ascended  the  brook  several  times  during 
these  months,  till  it  led  me  to  a  mountain  of  some 
eminence,  where  it  ended  in  little  branches  that  tumbled 
down  its  side. 

I  got  "  signs  "  of  gold  often,  —  in  fact  almost  always  at 


332  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

the  eddies  of  this  brook,  and  even  in  its  branches,  —  but 
never  in  as  large  quantities  as  in  the  sand  at  the  mouth, 
although  I  obtained  one  very  large  nugget  in  the  sands 
of  a  quiet  pool  fully  half  a  mile  from  the  lake.  I  also 
ascertained  that  the  mountain  was  composed  mostly  of 
quartz,  —  which  miners  term  the  mother  of  gold,  —  and 
all  the  little  pebbles  that  I  picked  up  in  the  running 
brooks  were  of  this  description,  several  of  them  being 
prettily  marked  with  little  veins  of  gold.  There  was  no 
doubt  whence  the  gold  came ;  it  had  been  pouring  down 
from  this  mountain  side  in  these  small  trickling  streams 
for  centuries,  veining  the  pieces  of  quartz  that  contained 
it  till  the  latter,  by  friction  and  water,  deposited .  itself 
in  the  shape  of  sand,  and  the  released  gold  as  dust  or 
nuggets,  at  the  mouth  of  the  brook,  having  been,  per 
haps,  centuries  making  the  descent  from  the  mountain 
side  to  the  lake,  a  distance  perhaps  of  one  mile.  I 
knew  perfectly  well  that  the  mountain  contained  the 
inexhaustible  mine  from  which  this  precious  dust  es 
caped,  but  I  also  knew  that  without  quicksilver  it  was 
beyond  my  reach  to  gather  it.  For  in  quartz-mining 
I  should  need  iron  stamps,  fuel,  steam-engine,  amalga 
mator,  rocking-table,  etc.,  all  of  which  I  could  supply, 
perhaps,  except  the  quicksilver  ;  but  this  troubled  me  very 
little,  for  I  knew  that  there  was  more  gold  at  the  mouth 
of  the  lake  than  I  could  gather  in  perhaps  a  lifetime, 
unless  I  could  invent  some  way  to  come  at  it  more  con 
venient  than  the  ways  that  I  was  now  employing.  I  had 


DISSATISFIED    WITH   MY   LUCK.  333 

often,  at  the  end  of  a  day's  work,  at  this  time,  nearly  as 
much  gold-dust  MS  I  could  hold  in  my  two  hands,  much 
more  than  one  handful,  and  in  value,  of  which  I  could 
only  guess,  at  least  $200  to  $250.  After  getting  quite 
a  quantity  together,  —  say  a  week's  work,  —  I  used  to 
transport  it  to  the  Hermitage,  take  it  to  the  workshop, 
smelt  it,  and  preserve  the  button  by  burying  it  within 
the  enclosure  of  the  Hermitage. 

I  had  at  the  end  of  some  six  months  become  greedy 
and  was  not  satisfied  with  my  daily  gains,  but  longed 
to  extend  my  operations.  During  these  months  I  had 
not  been  idle,  but  had  studied  upon  the  problem  of  how 
to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  I  was  thinking  about 
this  one  day,  when  nearly  half-way  between  the  lake 
and  the  mountain  side,  passing  the  brook  once  in  a 
while  and  looking  into  its  waters  for  quartz-pebbles 
marked  with  gold.  At  once  it  struck  me,  why  not 
turn  the  brook  from  the  lake  towards  the  sea,  in  a  new 
direction.  I  struck  my  head  with  my  fist  to  think  what 
a  fool  I  had  been  for  so  many  months ;  why,  here,  even 
where  I  stood,  was  a  natural  valley  on  my  left,  that 
would  convey  the  water  to  the  sea.  I  dashed  down  my 
pan  and  worked  my  way  seaward.  Why  here  was  even 
a  little  mountain  brook  already  tending  in  that  direction, 
and,  following  it  about  two  miles,  I  saw  it  pierce  the 
sand  of  the  seaside,  at  least  two  feet  wide,  and  discharge 
its  tiny  current  into  the  ocean.  I  was  crazy  with  excite 
ment.  T  dashed  back  again  to  the  point  where  I  had  left 


334  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

my  pan,  and,  picking  it  up,  made  for  the  lake.  When 
I  arrived,  I  went  to  the  inlet  and  examined  it.  I  felt 
that  I  had  the  whole  matter  under  my  thumb,  and  with 
out  much  labor,  too  ;  for  if  I  should  turn  the  direction 
of  Singing  Water  Brook  so  that  it  would  not  pour  into 
Mirror  Lake,  the  latter  at  its  outlet  would  be  exactly 
as  low  as  the  bottom,  over  which  a  rapid  current  was 
now  flowing,  but  which  would,  by  this  process,  be  in  one 
sense  brought  to  the  surface ;  and,  as  it  appeared,  I  could 
work  upon  it,  and  cut  it  down,  and  as  I  cut  it  down  so 
would  the  lake  be  drawn  off,  till,  if  cut  little  by  little, 
a  passage-way  which  I  could  timber  up  to  the  depth 
of  eighteen  feet,  all  the  water  of  the  lake  would  be 
drawn  off,  and  the  whole  bottom  exposed  to  my  view, 
and  the  golden  accumulation  of  untold  ages  beneath 
my  feet  to  pick  and  choose  from.  It  was  feasible,  fool 
that  I  was,  not  to  have  thought  of  it  before.  The  very 
next  day,  armed  with  axes,  tools,  and  shovels,  which  I 
had  to  make  two  trips  to  convey,  I  found  myself  at  the 
place  on  the  brook  where  the  natural  valley  leading 
towards  the  sea  seemed  to  meet  it,  and  where  a  little 
further  on  to  the  seaward  I  had  found  the  miniature 
brook,  trickling  its  way  to  the  southward.  At  the  point 
that  I  commenced  work  the  brook  was  not  over  ten  or 
twelve  feet  wide,  rapid  to  be  sure,  but  with  not  a  very 
great  descent  just  at  this  point.  I  commenced  in  the 
first  place  by  cutting  and  opening  on  its  southerly  bank, 
towards  the  sea  and  into  the  valley.  I  did  not  cut  the 


DAM   THE   BROOK.  335 

bank  away  so  as  to  let  the  water  in  yet  to  its  new 
channel,  but  worked  a  little  distance  from  it.  For  two 
whole  weeks  I  dug  at  this,  making  a  good  bed  for  the 
brook  to  rush  into  in  its  new  passage  that  I  intended 
to  give  it  to  the  sea.  Having  this  to  suit  me,  I  com 
menced  cutting  down  trees  to  fall  across  the  brook  as  it 
now  ran,  and  these  I  filled  in  with  pebbles  and  stones. 
It  was  hard  work,  but  at  the  end  of  three  weeks  I  had 
made  such  a  dam  across  the  original  brook  that  I  opened 
the  passage  for  the  water  into  the  new  one,  and  kept  on 
strengthening  the  former  till  all  the  water  in  a  day  or  two 
bounded  down  its  new  course  to  the  sea  as  if  it  had  always 
run  in  that  direction.  I  restrained  my  curiosity,  however, 
to  look  for  gold  in  the  now  dried  up  bed  of  the  brook,  but 
felled  more  trees,  and  put  in  more  stones,  and  banked  up 
with  more  earth,  till  I  felt  convinced  that  even  in  a  storm 
the  brook  would  no  longer  seek  an  outlet  in  the  direction  of 
the  lake  over  such  a  barrier,  and  with  the  bed  of  its  new 
course  so  well  dug  out  by  itself  even  now,  helped  as  it 
had  been  by  my  labor  of  two  weeks,  before  allowing  it 
to  seek  it.  Finally  I  felt  my  work  complete,  and, 
breaking  up  my  camp  that  I  had  so  long  made  in  the 
woods,  I  went  bac.k  to  the  lake,  looking  once  in  a  while 
into  the  now  empty  brook.  I  should  have  said  that  of 
course,  before  I  undertook  this  work,  I  had  taken  the 
yacht  and  submarine  boat  out  of  the  way,  —  the  sub 
marine  boat  to  its  old  resting-place  at  Still  Water  Cove, 
and  the  yacht  at  anchor  in  Mirror  Bay  near  the  shore. 


336  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

I  had  been  living  a  hard,  rude  life  in  the  woods, 
and  had  only  come  out  once  to  go  to  the  Hermitage 
for  food  and  to  attend  to  my  flocks ;  and  I  hurried 
down  now  to  look  at  the  lake,  which  I  knew  would  be 
lowered  to  exactly  the  former  depth  of  the  water  at  the 
outlet,  some  four  or  five  feet.  As  I  came  in  view  of  it 
I  saw  at  once  the  effects  of  my  work ;  it  looked  already 
woefully  shrunken  and  belittled,  but  I  did  not  stop  to 
look  at  it,  or  for  nuggets  either.  I  felt  convinced  that  I 
had  passed  many  in  the  bed  of  the  deserted  brook,  but 
at  present  I  was  intent  upon  my  work  of  changing  the 
face  of  nature.  In  two  trips  I  had  all  my  traps  and 
tools  conveyed  to  the  outlet,  and  it  was  here  that  I 
established  my  new  camp.  I  had  to  go  to  the  saw-mill 
and  get  some  plank,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  goats  and 
wagon  finally,  after  bringing  them  around  in  the  yacht, 
got  them  to  the  outlet  where  I  needed  them.  I  com 
menced  digging  in  its  bed,  and  the  water  soon  began  to 
pour  out,  as  I  did  not  have  to  dig  a  great  distance,  as 
the  decline  was  quite  sharp.  I  found  that  I  should  not 
need  my  boards  till  I  had  gotten  considerably  down,  if 
even  then,  for  my  work  consisted  only  in  shovelling  the 
bed  of  the  late  stream  out  upon  each  side  and  in  making  a 
channel  lower  than  the  water  still  remaining  in  the  lake. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  three  months  I  had  the  lake 
drawn  off,  so  as  to  expose  a  very  large  margin  of  the 
late  bottom.  It  would  take  too  long  to  relate  how  I 
travelled  over  these  exposed  sands  and  the  deserted  bed 


AN   INEXHAUSTIBLE   MINE.  337 

of  Singing- Water  Brook ;  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say 
that  my  findings  were  immense,  and  in  the  bed  of  the 
brook  I  found  several  nuggets  in  what  had  before  been 
eddies,  weighing  as  high  as  two  or  three  pounds,  as 
near  as  I  could  judge.  I  soon,  however,  got  tired  of 
tramping  over  the  sand  to  try  and  find  nuggets  by  the 
eye,  and  arranged  to  go  to  work  in  a  more  thorough  and 
satisfactory  manner.  To  do  this,  I  left  my  gold-fields 
for  several  months,  and  went  to  work  at  my  forge  to 
turn  out  a  portable  steam-engine,  with  a  rocker  or  sand- 
washer  attached.  When  this  was  finished  I  took  it,  in 
pieces,  to  the  bed  of  the  lake  and  erected  it  on  wheels. 
It  was  arranged  with  sections  of  pipe  and  hose  so  as  to 
be  placed  near  the  sand  that  was  to  be  washed,  and  the 
water  pumped  for  that  purpose  from  that  still  remaining 
in  the  lake,  and  which  I  had  left  for  this  very  purpose, 
intending  to  draw  it  off  and  expose  more  bottom  by 
opening  the  outlet  whenever  I  should  have  been  over 
the  sands  now  exposed  to  view.  It  was  well  also  that  I 
should  have  had  to  make  this  engine,  for  the  fishes 
contained  in  the  lake  had  commenced  to  die,  and  the 
air  was  impregnated  with  their  effluvia,  and  the  sur 
face  was  covered  with  their  dead  bodies.  When  I  got 
to  work  with  my  rocker  arid  engine  it  seemed  as  if  the 
sands  were  inexhaustible.  I  often  gathered,  as  far  as  I 
could  judge,  in  one  day's  work,  the  sum  of  at  least  $500, 
and  some  days  I  must  have  gathered  hard  upon  $1,000, 
not  to  mention  the  nuggets  large  enough  to  pick  up 


338  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

with  my  hand,  that  I  was  continually  coming  upon. 
But  at  last  I  got  absolutely  tired  of  gathering  this 
golden  harvest,  and  abandoned  it  for  other  occupations, 
having  already  more  than  I  knew  what  to  do  with,  and 
of  not  one  dollar's  value  to  me  unless  I  could  escape  or 
be  rescued.  After  my  fierce  excitement  was  over  in  this 
direction,  I  returned  to  the  old  problem  of  escape. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  sea  serpent.  Attack  and  capture  one  of  the  species,  thus  putting  the 
question  of  its  existence  forever  at  rest. 

IT  was  in  my  tenth  year  of  captivity  that  the  following 
adventure  occured  to  me,  which  is  of  such  importance  to 
the  scientific  world,  and  settles  forever  such  a  disputed 
question,  that  I  cannot  forbear  to  relate  it  here  in  the 
interest  of  science,  and  to  set  at  rest  all  doubts  upon  this 
subject  forever. 

I  had  started  upon  one  of  my  trips  to  the  pearl  oyster 
reef  in  the  submarine  boat,  to  obtain  some  of  those  biA^alves, 
to  convey  to  the  shore  for  examination.  The  day  was 
beautiful,  and  the  sky  clear  and  almost  without  a  cloud, 
with  a  light  air  moving  from  the  northwest.  I  was 
standing  out  toward  the  reef  from  Perseverance  Bay 
with  the  manhole  open,  and  all  goat  power  on,  when  all 
at  once,  as  I  was  gazing  about  the  horizon,  I  saw  to  lee 
ward  of  me  and  off  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  a  strange 
commotion  in  the  regular  waves  of  the  ocean.  Some  ani 
mal  or  fish  was  evidently  splashing  the  water  about  into  the 
air  in  huge  quantities.  At  one  time  it  looked  as  if  the  dis 
turbance  was  caused  by  porpoises  disporting  themselves  in 
their  native  element,  and  following  their  leader,  in  a  long 


340  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

string ;  but  I  soon  saw  this  was  not  the  case.    At  another 

O  * 

moment  it  seemed  as  if  a  whole  fleet  of  empty  barrels 
had  been  suddenly  left  bobbing  about  in  mid-ocean,  and 
then  again  as  if  detached  quantities  of  dry  seaweed  had 
been  floated  seaward  by  the  tide,  and  showed  itself  as  it  rose 
and  fell  upon  the  summits  of  different  waves.  Whilst  the 
object  was  taking  all  these  different  shapes  to  my  gazing 
eyes,  I  was  steadily  approaching  it,  having  changed  the 
course  of  the  boat,  and  as  I  advanced  I  found  that  it  also 
was  coming  towards  me,  and  when  within  perhaps  one 
half  mile,  the  creature  (for  it  proved  to  be  an  animal), 
suddenly  raised  its  head  at  least  twenty  feet  above 
the  waves  of  the  ocean,  and  looked  about  him  in  every 
direction.  At  once  the  truth  flashed  upon  me.  Here 
was  in  verity  the  sea  serpent  of  which  so  much  has 
been  written  and  so  much  doubted.  There  was  no 
deception ;  all  was  too  plain  before  me  to  deceive  a 
child :  but,  to  prove  the  matter  beyond  doubt,  I  stopped 
the  boat  and  waited  for  his  near  approach.  He  happened 
to  be  heading  so  that  he  would  naturally  pass  very  near 
to  me,  and  I  got  ready  to  clap  down  the  manhole  and 
descend  into  the  ocean  if  he  made  any  attack  upon  me. 
Just  as  he  was  coming  along  finely  towards  me,  he  sud 
denly  plunged  beneath  the  surface  and  was  lost  to  view. 
Here  was  a  pretty  ending  to  all  my  desires  to  observe 
him.  He  had  not  as  yet  come  near  enough  for  me  to 
describe  him,  so  as  to  be  believed.  What  should  I  do  ?  I 
hated  to  lose  him  in  this  manner,  and  I  felt  confident  that 


THE   SEA    SERPENT.  341 

ho  had  sounded,  not  on  account  of  perceiving  my  boat, 
which  he  could  have  scarcely  noticed,  but,  because  he  was 
at  that  moment  in  the  humor  or  was  feeding.  Whilst  I 
was  uttering  useless  regrets  at  having  lost  him,  and  mak 
ing  up  my  mind  whether  or  not  to  descend  myself  and 
try  to  find  him,  I  was  disturbed  by  a  loud  splash  astern 
of  where  I  was  looking,  and,  facing  about,  I  looked  into 
the  eyes  of  the  horrible  creature,  not  forty  yards  distant 
from  me. 

He  did  not,  however,  seem  to  notice  me  in  the  least, 
but  to  clap  down  the  manhole  cover  and  descend  was 
with  me  the  work  of  a  moment,  for  I  knew  too  little 
of  his  habits  to  trust  him.  I  have  perhaps  before  in  this 
narrative  stated  that,  when  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water,  all  fishes  and  animals  seemed  not  to  take  the 
slightest  notice  of  me ;  either  taking  my  boat  for  a  sub 
marine  rock,  or  else  for  a  creature  like  themselves ;  why 
it  was  so,  I,  of  course,  cannot  say,  but  that  such  was  the 
fact  I  can  aver.  I  had  often  put  my  hand  down  into  the 
water  upon  the  back  of  quite  large  fish,  when  beneath 
the  surface,  and  it  was  not  till  they  were  touched  that 
they  seemed  to  know  that  anything  out  of  the  ordinary 
was  happening.  I  had  been  fully  as  near  the  sea  serpent 
as  I  desired,  and  descended  for  safety ;  his  horrible  eyes 
and  face  haunting  me  as  I  fell  slowly  towards  the  bot 
tom.  Having  arrived  to  within  ten  or  twelve  feet,  I 
checked  the  boat,  intending  to  wait  a  reasonable  time  for 
his  lordship  to  depart,  and  then  to  rise  to  the  surface  and 


342  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

go  on  my  way  rejoicing  that  he  had  not  injured  me ;  but 
I  had  not  remained  more  than  five  minutes  in  my  posi 
tion  before  I  saw  a  sight  that  frightened  me  more  than 
meeting  this  creature  on  the  surface ;  for,  glancing  about 
towards  the  bottom,  my  eyes  fell  upon  the  serpent  making 
his  descent  from  above,  and  moving  along  slowly  on  the 
bottom,  evidently  seeking  for  his  prey.  His  horrible 
head  passed  within  at  least  ten  feet  of  the  boat,  of  which 
he  seemed  to  take  not  the  slightest  notice.  As  it  passed 
from  my  view  it  was  followed  by  the  body,  at  least  one 
hundred  feet  in  length,  and  as  large  around  as  a  common- 
sized  flour  barrel.  I  was  too  startled  to  move,  but  kept 
the  boat  quietly  in  position  till  the  whole  body  passed 
slowly  out  of  sight.  As  the  tail  went  by  me,  my  first 
impulse  was  to  get  out  of  the  way,  and  ascend  to  the 
surface,  and  start  for  home ;  my  next  was  to  remain 
where  I  was  and  see  what  would  happen.  Sitting  down, 
I  thought  the  whole  matter  over.  My  solitary  existence 
had  given  me  an  inordinate  appetite  for  excitement.  I 
wanted  something  to  stir  my  stagnant  blood,  something 
to  call  into  action  all  my  physical  and  mental  powers. 
You  who  have  never  been  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  man 
kind  cannot  credit  this  thirst  for  something  new,  some 
thing  moving,  something  strange.  The  daily  conversa 
tion,  the  crowded  streets,  the  incidents  of  life,  feed  this 
desire  and  keep  it  satisfied ;  but  when  there  is  nothing  of 
this  kind,  the  mind  and  body  both  ache  to  fill  the  void 
produced.  Add  to  this  such  a  temperament  as  mine,  and 


PREPARING    TO    ATTACK.  343 

it  can  be  understood  that,  just  saved  from  an  attack  from 
this  unknown  monster,  I  determined  to  attack  him,  and, 
if  possible,  capture  him.  I  don't  know  why  I  should 
have  brought  myself  to  this  conclusion,  or  why  I  should 
risk  my  life,  but  such  is  man.  From  a  state  of  fear  I 
entered  into  one  of  fierce  excitement,  and  made  every 
preparation  to  attack  the  danger  I  had  just  escaped. 

I  had  always  with  me  in  the  boat,  two  strong,  sharp 
harpoons  with  long,  seasoned,  wooden  staffs,  in  complete 
order,  and  also  a  lance  and  knife.  To  the  harpoons  was 
attached  a  raw-hide  rope,  some  fifty  fathoms  in  length, 
and  with  this  I  made  up  my  mind  to  strike  the  serpent 
if  I  could  get  the  chance.  To  the  end  of  the  raw-hide 
rope,  I  attached  a  wooden  buoy,  and,  thus  armed,  I  started 
the  goats,  and  headed  the  boat  in  the  direction  the  mon 
ster  had  taken  but  a  few  moments  before,  and  in  such 
a  leisurely  manner.  I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  saw  the 
end  of  his  tail  coming  in  view,  as  he  lay  stretched  upon 
the  sandy  bottom.  I  lowered  the  boat  till  I  floated  about 
eight  feet  above  the  hidden  form,  and,  plucking  up  my 
courage,  steered  forward  over  him,  with  his  huge  body 
for  a  guide.  As  I  arrived  near  his  head  I  stopped  the 
goats,  and  let  the  boat  drift,  the  tide  luckily  being  in  the 
direction  that  I  desired  to  go,  that  is,  what  there  was  of 
it,  which  was.  very  little.  As  the  head  came  slowly  into 
view,  I  saw  that  the  monster  was  engaged  in  quietly 
crunching  in  his  horrible  jaws  a  fish  of  some  size,  that  he 
had  evidently  just  caught,  and,  upon  which  his  attention 


344  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

seemed  to  be  fixed.  The  moment  was  propitious,  and,  as 
the  boat  slowly  drifted,  not  eight  feet  over  the  head  of 
the  terrible  creature,  I  stood  with  the  harpoon  in  my 
hand,  and  deliberately  drove  it  downward  with  all  my 
might  through  his  head,  just  abaft  the  eyes. 

I  did  not  stop  to  see  the  effect  of  my  blow,  but  imme 
diately  tumbled  into  the  water,  as  fast  as  possible,  several 
of  the  large  stones  that  I  used  on  the  shelves  for  ballast, 
so  as  to  ascend  at  once  towards  the  surface,  casting  over 
board  at  the  same  time  the  line  attached  to  the  harpoon, 
with  the  buoy  at  the  end.  Relieved  of  the  ballast,  the 
boat  commenced  to  ascend  instantly  and  rapidly,  but 
none  too  soon,  for,  as  it  was  rushing  toAvards  the  surface, 
just  below  me  came  the  sweep  of  the  creature's  terrible 
tail  in  its  death  agony.  If  I  had  been  struck  with  it,  it 
would  inevitably  have  capsized  my  boat,  and  perhaps 
have  killed  me,  or,  at  least,  left  me  to  swim  ashore 
to  the  island,  distant  some  miles,  or  else  be  drowned ; 
but,  luckily,  the  blow  missed  me  ;  the  ascent  of  the  boat 
was  so  rapid,  the  very  moment  I  kicked  and  threw  over 
some  of  the  ballast.  Having  risen  as  near  the  surface  as 
possible,  I  rigged  my  pump  and  ascended  still  further, 
and  then,  setting  up  my  tripod  and  shipping  my  air-boat, 
I  soon  had  air  enough  to  rise  completely  above  the  sur 
face,  and  to  open  the  manhole  and  look  about  me.  Of 
course,  my  first  glance  was  to  discover  my  buoy.  Yes  ; 
there  it  lay,  not  fifty  yards  from  me,  without  any  motion, 
except  what  it  received  from  the  waves  upon  which  it 


DEAD    AS    A    DOOK-NAIL.  345 

floated.  I  could  hardly  credit  that  at  the  other  end  lay 
the  sea  monster,  transfixed  through  the  brain  with  my 
trusty  harpoon ;  but  such,  I  felt  sure,  was  the  case.  The 
mark  had  been  too  near  and  quiet  for  me  to  fail,  and  I  had 
with  my  own  eyes  seen  the  iron  driven  in  up  to  the  staff 
through  the  centre  of  its  head.  I  longed  to  find  out  the 
state  of  affairs,  but  did  not  dare  to  descend  for  fear  of 
being  caught  in  the  folds  of  the  dying  monster.  I  steered 
for  the  floating  buoy,  and,  getting  hold  of  it,  by  means  of 
a  boat-hook  thrust  out  of  the  manhole,  I  pulled  it 
towards  me,  and  gathered  in  all  the  slack  line,  till  I 
could  feel  that  I  was  pulling  direct  upon  the  harpoon. 
Xo  vibration  came  to  me  through  it,  and  I  could  slightly 
raise  the  weight  evidently  attached  to  the  other  end,  but 
I  was  afraid  of  possibly  drawing  out  the  harpoon,  so  I 
did  not  attempt  much  in  this  direction ;  but,  being- 
assured  that  the  creature  was  dead,  I  finally  mustered  up 
courage  to  descend  and  look  at  him.  As  I  came  near  the 
bottom,  I  stopped  the  boat  and  advanced  in  the  direction 
that  the  line  from  the  buoy  trended  in.  Yes,  there  he 
was,  dead  as  a  door-nail ;  but  his  whole  body,  that  had  so 
lately  been  stretched  along  the  bottom,  was  coiled  up  and 
around  the  staff  of  the  harpoon,  which  had  pinned  the 
head  to  the  ocean's  bed.  I  came  near  enough  to  see  that 
the  creature  was  really  dead,  and  then,  rising  to  the  sur 
face,  I  made  all  haste  for  Stillwater  Cove.  Arriving,  I 
got  up  steam  on  the  yacht,  and  made  all  haste  back  to 
the  buoy,  towing  the  submarine  boat  behind  me.  When 


346  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

I  got  upon  the  ground,  I  descended  in  the  submarine 
boat,  and,  by  means  of  ropes,  and  pulling  and  hauling  in 
each  direction,  I  got  the  body  of  the  serpent  somewhat 
straightened  out  and  the  head  clear.  Around  the  neck  I 

O 

fastened  a  good,  strong,  rawhide  rope  and  attached  the 
buoy  rope  to  it.  I  then,  at  a  distance  of  some  thirty  or 
forty  feet  from  the  head,  lashed  to  the  back  of  the  creature 
my  air-boat,  to  sustain  that  part  somewhat,  so  that  it  would 
not  drag  upon  the  bottom.  I  then  arose  to  the  surface 
and  went  on  board  of  the  yacht,  and  took  the  buoy  rope 
to  the  balance-wheel  in  the  engine-room,  and  hove  the 
head  of  the  monster  nearly  to  the  surface ;  the  water  sus 
taining  it,  so  that  it  was  not  very  heavy.  I  trusted  to 
my  air-boat  to  help  sustain  the  remainder  of  the  body, 
and,  thus  accoutred,  with  the  submarine  boat  towing  far 
astern  out  of  the  way,  I  headed  slowly  for  Stillwater 
Cove,  towing  my  prey  behind  me.  When  I  arrived  at 
the  opening  of  the  cove  I  drew  the  carcase  as  far  as 
possible,  by  means  of  the  steam  yacht,  on  to  the  sandy 
seashore,  where  the  tide  would  leave  it  out  of  water  when 
it  receded.  I  then  liberated  my  goats,  and  moored  the 
boat  in  the  harbor  near  by,  and,  taking  my  pets  on  board, 
after  anchoring  the  serpent  safely,  steamed  towards  the 
Hermitage,  where  I  landed  them,  and  took  on  board  some 
empty  barrels  and  knives,  hatchets,  and  saws,  to  dissect 
my  sea  monster.  When  I  arrived  back  the  sea  had 
already  fallen  so  as  to  leave  the  head  and  at  least  twenty 
feet  of  the  body  high  and  dry.  After  the  tide  had  wholly 


THE  SEA  SERPENT.  —  PAGE  347. 


DESCRIPTION    OF   THE   MONSTER.  347 

gone  down,  I  measured  the  monster,  and  these  were  the 
dimensions.  Taking  my  measure  of  a  fathom  as  a  stan 
dard,  the  creature  was  twenty-two  and  one-half  fathoms 
long,  and,  at  its  largest  girth  —  about  two  fathoms  belo\v 
the  neck  —  over  one  fathom  and  a  quarter  in  circum 
ference.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  monster,  but  I  will 
try.  The  head  was  at  least  eight  feet  long,  and  the  ex 
tent  to  which  the  mouth  could  be  opened  over  six  feet ; 
the  gullet  was  small ;  the  teeth  numerous,  but  small ;  the 
nostrils  large  and  prominent ;  the  eyes  fully  six  inches  in 
diameter,  and  with  an  expression  that,  even  now  that  the 
creature  was  dead,  I  could  not  stand  when  I  looked  into 
them.  In  the  stomach  I  found  only  small  pieces  of  dif 
ferent  kind  of  fishes,  And,  by  the  smallness  of  the  teeth 
and  gullet,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  creature  is 
naturally  quite  harmless,  like  most  of  the  mighty  animals 
of  the  earth,  —  as  the  sperm  whale,  elephant,  etc.,  which 
never  attack  anyone  unless  disturbed.  Beyond  the  head, 
and,  for  a  distance  of  some  ten  feet,  grew  a  sort  of  mane, 
formed  of  pendant  tissues  of  flesh  some  five  or  six  feet  in 
length,  exactly  like  those  to  be  found  on  the  sides  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi  cat-fish  or  smaller  horn-pout.  To 
wards  the  tail,  and  some  distance  from  it,  was  an  adipose 
fin,  that  was  at  least  a  foot  high  and  fifteen  feet  long.  The 
skin  of  the  creature  was  of  a  mottled  greenish  hue, 
rough,  and  discolored,  something  the  color  of  the  shell  of 
a  very  young  crab,  and  at  least  a  good  quarter  of  an  inch 
in  thickness.  Having  taken  all  the  dimensions  of  the 


348  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

monster,  I  went  to  work  and  cut  off  his  head,  and  left 
it  purposely  where  the  fishes,  lobsters,  etc.,  would  feed 
upon  it  at  high  water,  so  as  to  in  time  preserve  its  skele 
ton  when  all  the  bones  were  completely  articulated.  The 
remainder  of  the  body  I  skinned  in  sections,  at  different 
times,  and  was  glad  to  roll  the  rest  of  the  body  into  the 
current  of  Stillwater  Cove,  to  be  carried  out  to  sea. 

I  have  enough  on  hand,  at  the  time  of  writing  this,  to 
prove  to  any  one  that  I  have  both  seen  and  captured  the 
veritable  sea  serpent ;  for,  as  I  sit  in  the  Hermitage,  the 
whole  skull,  with  jaws,  teeth,  and  part  of  the  vertebrae 
attached,  is  hung  up  near  me,  and  below  it  a  circular 
piece,  nearly  four  feet  long,  of  the  hide  of  the  animal  at 
its  greatest  girth.  The  frontal  bone  of  the  skull,  which 
is  not  very  thick,  is  broken  where  the  harpoon  iron  en 
tered  and  caused  immediate  death.  With  this  exception 
the  whole  specimen  is  in  complete  order ;  and  I  have  also 
a  sketch  of  the  animal  drawn  upon  parchment,  from 
actual  life,  taken  by  myself  before  he  was  at  all  mutilated 
or  cut  up. 

I  hope  that  this  truthful,  consistent,  and  convincing 
recital  will  close  forever  this  mooted  question ;  for  there  is 
a  sea  serpent,  and  I  have  been  able  to  capture  and 
preserve  one  of  his  species. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Make  a  Balloon  and  Flying  Machine,  in  which  I  make  a  Successful 
Ascension. 

MY  thoughts  turned  wholly  now  upon  means  of  de 
fending  my  vast  treasures  in  case  of  invasion,  and  devis 
ing  ways  of  escape  from  the  island.  As  to  the  former, 
I  overhauled  all  my  artillery  at  the  different  points,  in 
creased  my  stock  of  gunpowder,  and  had  each  cannon 
well  supplied  with  ammunition.  I  also  perfected  my 
battery  at  Still  water  Cove,  and  kept  the  armament 
on  the  walls  of  the  Hermitage  in  excellent  order.  Not 
content  with  this,  I  went  to  work  in  the  foundry  and 
turned  out  several  cylinders,  similar  to  the  one  I  had 
exploded  the  sunken  wreck  with,  which  I  fitted  with 
flint  and  steel,  ready  to  be  filled  with  powder ;  in  short, 
a  species  of  torpedo,  which  I  had  fully  determined  to  take 
into  the  submarine  boat  and  explode  beneath  the  bottom 
of  any  hostile  vessel  that  should  dare  to  attack  me,  so 
much  had  the  acquisition  of  vast  riches  changed  my  dis 
position.  I  felt  that  any  vessel  approaching  and  anchor 
ing  would  be  at  my  mercy ;  for  in  the  night-time  I  could 
approach  her,  wherever  she  might  be  anchored,  unknown 
to  anyone,  and,  attaching  one  of  my  infernal  machines, 
send  her  to  the  bottom  with  all  on  board.  I  do  not 

349 


350  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

say  that  I  should  have  done  this,  but  I  was  prepared 
for  all  emergencies,  and  determined  to  defend  my  trea 
sure  to  the  last.  For  means  of  escape  I  turned  my 
attention  to  ballooning,  —  a  subject  which  I  had  thought 
much  about,  but  heretofore  had  done  nothing  in  that 
direction.  For  several  years  I  had  been  quietly  gather 
ing  in  all  the  dried  pods  of  milkweed,  floss,  or  silk  that 
I  could  find,  —  and  large  spaces  of  the  island  were  cov 
ered  with  it,  —  determined  at  some  time  to  weave  me 
some  kind  of  cloth  or  silk  from  its  fibre.  I  now  com 
menced  seriously  upon  this  work,  and  took  hold  of  it  in 
earnest.  It  would  take  too  long  to  relate  how  many 
changes  I  had  to  make  in  my  loom,  which  I  built  of 
cast-iron,  to  be  moved  by  water-power,  before  I  could 
get  it  to  work  at  all ;  but  I  had  the  theory  all  correct,  and 
it  was  only  practice  that  I  needed  to  make  cloth.  The 
machine  for  spinning  the  floss  into  threads  took  me 
the  longest  time,  but  I  finally  accomplished  it.  After  a 
while,  and  with  many  failures,  I  commenced  to  turn  out 
from  my  loom  a  sort  of  cloth,  about  a  yard  wide,  which 
was  very  strong,  flexible,  and  light,  but  of  an  uneven 
surface,  on  account  of  the  irregularity  in  the  size  of 
my  threads,  and  fuzzy,  like  coarse  flannel;  but  for 
strength  and  practical  use  I  found  the  material  all  that 
could  be  desired;  and,  having  tested  it,  I  set  carding 
and  spinning  wheels  to  work  daily  to  procure  thread  for 
my  loom.  After  making  some  hundred  yards  of  this 
cloth,  I  stopped  all  the  operations  to  experiment  in 


EXPERIMENTS    WITH    GAS.  351 

another  direction.  In  my  boyhood  I  had  seen  balloon- 
ascensions  made  by  filling  the  bag  with  a  gas,  created 
by  pouring  sulphuric  acid  upon  iron  or  steel  filings  in 
this  manner :  Several  old  hogsheads  were  brought  upon 
the  field  where  the  ascension  was  to  take  place,  and 
into  each  of  them  was  poured  a  quantity  of  iron  filings, 
scraps,  etc.,  and  upon  this  was  poured  sulphuric  acid ;  the 
casks  were  then  headed  up,  and  through  a  small  orifice 
the  gas  engendered  was  led  by  a  pipe  from  each  to  the 
balloon,  which  was  thus  inflated.  If  I  could  make  this 
gas  and  successfully  inflate  a  small* balloon,  it  would 
then  be  time  enough  for  me  to  advance  with  my  cloth- 
making  for  a  large  one.  I  easily  ascertained  from  my 
book  how  to  make  sulphuric  acid.  And  this  is  how  I 
did  it :  I  got  together  a  quantity  of  sulphur  or  brimstone, 
and  setting  fire  to  it  in  a  closed  vessel,  with  just  enough 
draught  for  it  to  burn,  I  led  the  fumes  into  a  closed 
vessel  of  water  through  a  short  funnel,  where,  combining 
with  the  water,  I  had  at  once  sulphuric  acid.  To  test 
this  I  tackled  my  friends  the  dog-sharks,  in  Stillwater 
Cove,  and  obtained  several  bladders,  very  thin  and  light, 
just  suited  for  my  purpose,  which  I  blew  up  with  atmos 
pheric  air,  and  allowed  to  dry  perfectly  in  the  sun. 
When  they  were  in  proper  condition  I  placed  in  one  of 
my  porcelain  jars  a  few  handfuls  of  iron  and  steel  fil 
ings,  and  poured  upon  it  some  of  the  sulphuric  'acid 
that  I  had  made,  and  then  lashed  the  neck  of  the  bladder 
to  the  orifice  of  the  jar.  I  watched  my  experiment  with 


352  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

subdued  excitement.  I  felt  sure  that  I  was  right  in 
theory;  would  the  thing  work  in  practice?  I  had  yet 
to  see.  After  leaving  the  bladder  on  for  a  considerable 
time,  I  drew  a  string  around  it  perfectly  tight  so  that 
no  gas  could  escape  and  released  it  from  the  jar.  With 
fear  and  trepidation  I  loosed  my  hold  upon  it,  and  in 
one  moment  it  shot  up  into  the  sky  like  a  rocket  till  it 
was  nearly  beyond  my  sight,  when  it  disappeared  in  a 
northeasterly  direction  before  a  strong  wind  that  was 
blowing.  I  was  as  pleased  as  a  boy  with  his  first  toy- 
balloon,  and,  like  a  child,  I  let  off  several  of  these  blad 
ders  as  fast  as  filled  with  gas,  perfectly  fascinated  to  see 
them  ascend  and  then  disappear  in  the  blue  ether. 

Here  was  a  means  at  once  of  sending  up  daily  messen 
gers  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  stating  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  the  island,  and  asking  for  rescue.  Aye,  but 
there  was  the  rub ;  without  my  treasure  how  gladly  would 
I  have  seized  upon  this  method  of  letting  my  captivity  be 
known,  but  with  it  I  had  become  a  coward.  I  wanted  to 
escape,  and  did  not  dare  to  ask  anyone  to  aid  me.  The 
knowledge  that  I  could  ask  was,  of  course,  a  satisfaction, 
but  as  yet  I  did  not  dare  to  risk  it,  and  put  the  matter  on 
one  side  for  further  meditation  at  some  future  day.  Find 
ing  that  my  theory  about  the  gas  was  correct,  T  went  to 
work  again  upon  my  clothmaking,  and  worked  hard  at  it 
nearly  six  months,  when  I  had  sufficient  quantity  for  my 
purpose,  which  was  to  make  a  balloon  of  large  enough 
size  to  make  an  ascension  in  myself.  I  did  not  have  any 


AERONAUTICAL   THEORY.  353 

foolhardy  idea  of  leaving  the  island^in  a  balloon  and  land 
ing  I  knew  not  where,  but  I  was  determined  to  make  a 
series  of  experiments  in  several  directions,  that  had  been 
running  through  my  head  for  years  before,  and  to  see 
what  they  were  worth.  In  the  first  place  I  went  to  work 
and  made  a  balloon,  in  the  shape  of  an  immense  cigar,  of 
the  cloth  that  I  had  manufactured,  which  was  some 
thirty  feet  long,  and  ten  feet  in  diameter.  My  theory 
was  this.  In  all  balloon  ascensions  navigators  heretofore 
had  only  been  able  to  fill  a  sack  with  gas,  and  to  ascend 
into  the  air,  and  descend  by  allowing  the  same  to  escape, 
in  other  words,  to  have  but  little  control  of  the  machine 
except  to  ascend  and  descend,  and  this  in  a  limited  degree. 
I  had  often  noticed  that,  in  the  severest  storms,  sea- 
birds  would  remain  poised  in  the  air  without  moving  a 
wing,  facing  the  wind,  and  yet  not  recede  before  it,  but 
by  a  slight  motion  of  the  wings,  not  up  and  down  or  a 
stroke,  but  a  sort  of  elevation  of  the  body,  dart  dead  to 
windward  against  it.  I  had  also  noticed  that,  if  a  tin 
plate  was  thrown  into  the  air  against  a  strong  wind, 
it  would  often,  if  at  the  right  angle,  increase  its  speed 
greatly  after  leaving  the  hand,  and  dart  into  the  wind's 
eye  with  extreme  velocity.  Hence  I  thought  that  a 
balloon  could  be  made  to  tack  in  the  air  exactly  as  a  boat 
tacks  in  the  water,  except  that  the  motion  of  tacking 
should  be  perpendicular  instead  of  horizontal.  Suppose 
that  a  balloon,  cigar-shaped  like  mine,  was  poised  in  air 
at  an  altitude  of  one  thousand  feet,  and  that  at  each  end 


354  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

of  the  car  was  arranged  a  light  but  large  horizontal  Hat 
surface,  exactly  like  a  barn  door  laid  upon  the  ground,  with 
its  hinges  attached  to  the  car.  To  advance  against  the 
wind  why  not  elevate  the  one  in  front  and  depress  the  one 
in  rear  to  the  right  angle,  or  till  they  were  filled  as  we 
should  say  of  sails,  and  then  advance  into  the  wind's  eye, 
increasing  at  the  same  time  the  elevation,  as  the  tin  plate 
is  forced  forward ;  and,  having  made  a  tack  upward  and 
forward,  why  not  elevate  the  rear  screen  and  depress  the 
front  one,  and  descend  towards  the  earth  at  an  angle,  still 
eating  our  way  to  windward,  and  when  near  the  surface 
reverse  the  action  and  mount  again  heavenward,  but  still 
to  windward.  Besides  this,  why  should  not  my  balloon 
be  filled  with  gas  till  it  would  lift  myself,  the  screens,  the 
car,  and  all  its  apparatus  within  one  or  two  pounds.  That 
is  to  say,  to  have  just  enough  gas  in  the  balloon,  not  to 
raise  the  apparatus,  but  to  so  nearly  raise  it  that  another 
person,  if  present,  could  lift  the  whole  in  his  hand;  prac 
tically  to  reduce  the  weight  of  my  body  to  that  of  a  good 
sized  duck ;  then  with  small  wings,  not  immense  cumber 
some  ones,  the  same  size  that  would  raise  a  duck,  I  ought 
to  be  able  to  raise  myself,  and  sail  in  the  air.  Could  it  be 
done? 

After  I  had  made  my  balloon  bag  I  covered  all  the 
cloth  and  the  seams  with  a  fine  varnish  that  I  made  from 
the  resinous  trees  of  the  island.  This  part  of  my  task 
caused  me  little  trouble.  Having  finished  it  I  went  to 
work  upon  my  car  and  its  appurtenances,  which  I  made 


MY   AIK-SHIP.  355 

almost  wholly  of  small  cane,  very  strong  but  very  light. 
I  made  also  two  immense  screens  or  fans,  which  I 
fastened  to  either  end,  so  that  they  could  be  elevated 
or  depressed,  and  covered  the  light  framework  with 
cloth.  Underneath  the  centre  of  my  car  was  hung  verti 
cally  a  propeller,  also  made  of  cane,  and  the  blades 
covered  with  cloth,  and  on  each  side  a  fan  wheel  some  six 
feet  in  circumference  and  two  wide.  The  shaft  of  these 
fan  wheels  and  propeller  was  brought  into  the  car,  and, 
by  a  series  of  bevelled  gear  made  of  the  lightest  iron 
possible,  was  connected  with  a  treadmill  for  one  of  my 
goats,  motion  upon  which  would  give  over  five  hundred 
revolutions  per  minute  to  the  fan  wheels  and  propeller. 
In  this  car  I  also  fixed  a  jar  of  iron  filings  and  a  bottle  of 
sulphuric  acid  to  make  gas,  if  necessary,  to  replace  that 
which  would  in  time  leak  out  of  the  balloon  if  long  in 
flated.  I  also  provided  the  machine  with  sand  ballast  in 
case  I  should  need  it  to  keep  up  the  equilibrium  in  case 
the  gas  should  escape  faster  than  I  expected,  when  I  could 
keep  my  elevation  by  discharging  it.  After  this  was  all 
arranged,  the  next  thing  was  to  make  the  experiment. 

I  have  always  thought  that  great  advancement  has  been 
made  in  all  the  arts  of  navigating  the  ocean  on  account 
of  the  ease  and  safety  with  which  experiments  can  be 
made,  but  to  experiment  in  the  air  one  must  go  into  the 
air,  and  if  the  theory  does  not  work  in  practice,  down  he 
comes,  perhaps  a  corpse,  on  to  the  hard  earth,  whilst  a 
capsize  in  the  ocean  in  experimenting  is  nothing.  Now  I 


356  PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND. 

had  made  up  my  mind  to  go  up  in  this  machine,  if  pos 
sible,  but  I  had  also  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  go 
over  the  water  and  not  over  the  land,  so  that  if  anything 
did  not  work,  I  should  only  take  a  cold  bath  and  nothing 
more  ;  besides,  by  my  theory,  I  need  not  go  high,  and  could 
keep  a  few  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  if  disas 
ter  occurred  I  could  swim  ashore.  I  put  my  goat  daily 
upon  his  treadmill  and  worked  my  machine  theoretically 
till  I  was  satisfied  with  it.  I  then  made  myself  a  nice 
life  preserver  of  fish  bladders,  and  put  into  the  car  some 
few  provisions  and  water.  The  next  task  was  to  launch 
myself  properly  into  space  without  any  disaster.  To  en 
able  me  to  do  this  I  went  to  the  mouth  of  Stillwater 
Cove  and  erected  a  sort  of  wharf  from  the  shore  out  into 
the  water  at  nearly  high  tide,  about  four  feet  wide,  upon 
which  I  could  rest  my  car  with  the  fan  wheels  hanging 
over  each  side  and  the  propeller  clear  underneath,  the 
wharf  not  being  planked,  but  consisting  of  a  few  uprights 
and  cross  pieces  only. 

I  carried  here  all  my  utensils  for  making  gas  and  had 
everything  prepared  for  a  start.  I  needed  in  the  first 
place  a  day  with  but  little  wind,  but  what  there  was  to  be 
from  the  southward  so  as  to  blow  me  off  into  Perseverance 
Bay  when  I  should  start.  After  some  waiting,  such  a  day 
came  and  I  hastened  to  take  advantage  of  it.  In  the  first 
place  I  took  the  canoe  in  tow  of  the  yacht,  and  anchored 
it  nearly  a  mile  from  shore  in  the  direction  that  the  wind 
blew,  so  as  to  be  able,  perhaps,  to  reach  it  if  I  should  find 


THE   START.  357 

myself  too  far  from  land  in  case  of  disaster.  I  then  re 
turned  and  went  to  work  filling  my  balloon  with  gas. 
This  I  did  on  shore,  till  I  had  sufficient  in  the  balloon  to 
make  it  steady,  when  I  conveyed  it  over  the  car  upon  the 
wharf,  where  I  attached  it  by  its  numerous  cords,  and  then 
connected  it  again  with  the  orifice  of  the  pipe  that  was 
supplying  the  gas.  I  had  before  in  a  rude  balance  ascer 
tained  rny  own  weight  in  sand-bags,  and  these  I  had  in 
the  car  to  represent  myself.  I  put  the  goat  on  the  tread 
mill,  all  harnessed  in,  ready  to  start  at  a  moment's  notice, 
and  in  fact  I  did  start  him  before  the  balloon  was  very 
buoyant,  to  see  if  everything  was  working  right.  I  walked 
about  the  car,  lifting  it  once  in  a  while  to  see  how  buoy 
ant  it  was.  I  should  have  said  that  the  propeller  had 
been  changed  from  my  first  idea,  as  had  the  paddles.  The 
former  was  so  arranged  as  to  work  vertically,  and  motion 
from  it  ought  to  force  me  into  the  air,  whilst  the  latter 
were  arranged  in  the  form  of  two  lateral  propellers,  I 
having  bethought  myself  in  season  that  a  revolving  wheel 
in  the  air  would  not  force  me  in  any  direction,  whilst  a 
propeller  would.  The  time  finally  came  when  the  car 
and  all  its  appurtenances  weighed  only  a  few  ounces  in 
my  hand,  in  fact  nearly  ready  to  take  flight  of  itself.  I 
then  cut  off  the  gas  and  placed  myself  in  the  car  and  com 
menced  quietly  emptying  over  the  side  the  sand  bags  that 
represented  my  own  weight ;  and  these  being  exhausted,  I 
boldly  threw  over  at  once  two  bags  weighing  nearly  or 
fully  twenty-five  pounds  each,  as  I  was  determined  to 


358  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

start  clear  and  rapidly  from  my  resting  place,  knowing 
that  I  could  easily  descend  by  letting  out  a  very  little 
gas.  The  effect  was  instantaneous,  and  I  arose  rapidly 
and  commenced  floating  slowly  out  over  Perseverance 
Bay ;  but  I  had  no  desire  to  go  high,  and  I  opened  the 
throttle  valve  at  the  very  moment  the  balloon  started,  and 
at  the  height  of  about  one  hundred  feet  it  was  already 
commencing  to  slowly  descend,  which  I  allowed  it  to  do, 
till  it  was  about  twenty-five  feet  above  the  water,  when  I 
threw  out  of  gear  the  lateral  propellers  and  started  the 
goat ;  the  effect  was  instantaneous  in  checking  the  descent, 
and  the  vertical  propeller  was  forcing  me  upward  with 
magnificent  speed,  in  fact  I  found  myself  quite  too  high 
for  comfort  before  I  bethought  myself  of  stopping  the 
goat,  which  being  done  I  commenced  again  to  descend, 
but  quite  leisurely,  being  very  evenly  balanced  in  the  air. 
When  I  came  near  the  water,  I  set  the  vertical  propeller 
again  to  work  and  arose  heavenward.  All  this  time  I  was 
drifting  slowly  out  seaward  over  Perseverance  Bay,  and  I 
thought  it  time  to  try  my  lateral  propellers ;  so,  setting 
the  gear  at  once  by  a  handset,  I  put  on  all  goat  power, 
being  at  a  distance  of  some  fifty  feet  above  the  water,  as 
near  as  I  could  judge.  Everything  worked  admirably, 
and  I  saw  that  I  was  rapidly  increasing  my  speed  sea 
ward.  When  I  descended  too  near  the  ocean  I  put  on 
the  vertical  propeller,  but  I  noticed  that  the  lateral  ones 
sustained  me  as  well  as  forced  me  forward.  I  soon  ran 
past  the  place  where  the  "  Fairy  "  was  anchored,  and  I 


BALLOON    NAVIGATION.  359 

had  now  to  try  my  last  experiment.  By  this  time  I  had 
become  at  ease  in  my  car,  and  began  to  feel  as  safe  und 
secure  as  in  the  submarine  boat.  By  stopping  one  of  the 
lateral  propellers  I  soon  had  my  balloon  turned  round  and 
facing  the  wind,  which  was  at  this  elevation  and  out  to 
sea,  rather  more  than  I  had  reckoned  upon.  As  the  point 
of  the  cigar-shaped  balloon  came  to  the  wind,  I  put  on  the 
vertical  propeller  and  ascended  higher  than  I  had  ever 
yet  been,  and  then,  depressing  the  forward  screen  and  ele 
vating  the  rear  one,  I  made  a  dive  in  a  slanting  direction 
towards  the  ocean  ;  and  here  I  had  like  to  have  been  ship 
wrecked,  for  my  car  commenced  descending  with  such 
rapidity  that  I  had  scarcely  time  to  reverse  the  action  be 
fore  I  was  in  the  ocean,  but  happily,  by  starting  the  verti 
cal  propeller  I  saved  myself,  and  found  the  car  going  just 
as  rapidly  upwards. 

I  had  solved  the  problem.  1  was  tacJeing  to  windward 
in  the  air.  I  was  utilizing  the  action  that  causes  a 
boomerang  to  take  the  seemingly  erratic  course  it  does 
through  space.  Having  tacked  a  few  times  I  stopped  in 
mid-air,  and,  as  I  had  evidently  lost  some  little  gas,  threw 
over  a  small  amount  of  sand,  till  I  sailed  again  almost 
in  equilibrio.  I  then  put  on  all  the  speed  of  my  lateral 
propellers,  and  found  that  I  could  stem  the  wind,  and  that 
I  was  approaching  the  shore.  By  the  action  of  either 
one  propeller  or  the  other  I  could  change  the  direction 
of  the  car  at  will,  and  was  enabled  to  hover  over  the 
very  wharf  whence  I  started,  and  to  land  upon  it 


360  PERSEVERANCE    ISLAND. 

with  a  shock  no  greater  than  sitting  down  upon  a  hard 
chair. 

I  then  let  the  gas  escape  from  the  balloon,  and  released 
ray  little  goat,  who  had  been  my  mainstay  through  all  this 
perilous  adventure.  I  had  made  a  more  successful  ascen 
sion  than  had  ever  before  been  made  in  the  world,  and  if 
I  could  replace  iny  goat-power  by  some  other  —  such  as  a 
caloric  engine,  or  some  method  of  compressed  air  —  I 
should  have  a  vehicle  worthy  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Of  course  it  would  not  do  to  have  an  engine,  however 
small,  fed  with  coal,  or  I  should  inevitably  have  an 
explosion.  At  the  present  I  felt  that  the  goat  power 
must  do  me ;  and,  even  if  he  should  fail,  my  weight  was 
also  so  nearly  that  of  a  few  ounces  or  pounds  that  I  could 
not  fall  hard,  or  with  much  velocity,  even  if  he  should 
from  some  reason  refuse  to  work,  or  some  of  my  machinery 
give  way.  The  only  thing  that  I  feared  was  the  tacking 
business  ;  this  I  considered  dangerous,  with  the  crude 
appliances  that  I  had,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  not  to  be 
tipped  out  into  the  ocean,  and  therefore  took  them  off  the 
car,  making  up  my  mind  that  I  would  not  make  an  ascen 
sion  when  there  was  more  wind  than  I  could  head  against 
with  the  lateral  propellors,  and,  furthermore,  now  I  had 
tested  the  machine,  there  was  no  need  of  my  going  off 
the  island,  over  the  sea,  but  I  was  free  to  sail  all  over  the 
land,  and  if  a  storm  of  wind  should  arise,  in  which  my 
crude  car  would  be  unmanageable,  I  had  only  to  descend, 
and  walk  home. 


A    FREE    OFFER.  361 

I  may  as  well  say  here,  that  I  often  afterwards  enjoyed 
myself  in  the  air,  floating  over  my  own  island,  and  that  I 
never  met  with  the  slightest  accident,  of  any.  kind  ;  but  I 
could  not  utilize  my  discovery  enough  to  dare  to  attempt 
an  ocean  voyage  with  it.  It  was  a  pretty  plaything,  and 
would  make  my  fortune  if  amongst  civilized  people ;  but 
I  have  no  objection  to  both  my  submarine  boat  and  bal 
loon  becoming  public  property,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
I  having  enough  actual  wealth,  in  solid  metal,  to  enable 
me  to  enjoy  everything  in  this  life  worth  enjoying. 

If  this  manuscript  ever  comes  to  the  hands  of  any  one, 
they  can  go  ahead  and  manufacture  without  infringing 
upon  my  patent-rights  ;  but  should  they  make  an  immense 
fortune,  as  they  are  sure  to  do,  why  then  they  can  remem 
ber  the  inventor,  if  they  choose ;  if  God  wills  it  that  I 
should  ever  be  where  any  of  my  fellow-men  can  help  me, 
or  I  them.  By  my  series  of  experiments  in  ballooning  I 
had  exhausted  all  my  inventions  for  escape,  and  I  still 
returned  to  one  of  two  things :  To  let  the  world  know  of 
my  distress  by  sending  the  news  by  balloons,  or  else  escape 
myself,  in  my  steam  yacht,  or  life  raft,  and  run  the  risk  of 
finding  the  island  occupied  upon  my  return,  and  myself 
debarred  from  my  treasures  and  ownership.  Between 
these  two  I  felt  that  it  was  time  for  me  to  choose,  defi 
nitely  and  speedily. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  manuscript  sent  forth. 

PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND,  SOUTH  PACIFIC, 
January,  1877. 

I  HAVE  decided.  I  am  no  longer  in  doubt.  My  mind 
is  fully  made  up  as  to  the  course  I  must  take,  and  that  it  is 
of  no  use  for  me  to  remain  upon  this  island  fretting  my  life 
away.  I  must  escape,  I  must  have  companionship,  and  I 
must  choose.  Eac^i  method  presented  to  my  mind  has  its 
advantages,  and  I  have  long  been  in  doubt  which  to  adopt : 
but  the  struggle  is  ended ;  I  have  fully  made  up  my  mind, 
and  shall  not  swerve  from  it.  If  I  should  try  to  escape  I 
have  the  following  methods  open  to  me  :  First,  the  sub 
marine  boat.  If  I  should  decide  to  use  that  method,  I 
should,  in  the  first  place,  have  to  build  a  much  larger  one, 
with  room  for  provisions  and  bed ;  and,  being  larger,  it 
would  be  propelled  much  slower  by  goat  power,  for  I 
could  not  utilize  a  steam-engine  on  account  of  the  oxygen 
it  would  eat  up,  and  the  necessary  space  that  would  be 
needed  for  fuel.  Now  to  build  another,  and  larger  boat, 
would  take  time  and  patience,  and  would  be  practically 
useless  when  built;  so  I  dismissed  this  from  my  mind. 
The  one  I  now  had  was  too  small  to  carry  provisions  for 
myself  and  goats,  enough  to  last  any  great  length  of  time ; 
362 


WEIGHING   THE   CHANCES.  363 

and  the  whole  fabric  was  too  crude  to  trust  myself  in  for 
a  voyage  of  any  length,  supposing,  even,  that  I  could 
carry  in  it  sufficient  food  to  sustain  life.  There  was  one 
principle,  however,  in  the  submarine  boat  that  I  hated  to 
give  up,  and  that  was  the  perfect  safety  from  storms  on 
the  surface:  these  I  could  escape  at  all  times,  —  and, 
again,  I  should  never  lose  in  the  night-time  what  I  made 
in  the  day.  There  would  be  no  drifting  back,  before  the 
wind,  whilst  I  was  asleep,  but  by  descending  from  the 
surface  at  night  I  should  rest  peacefully  till  morning,  sub 
ject  only  to  the  slow  drift  of  any  ocean  current  that  I 
might  encounter.  In  stormy  weather  also  I  could  always 
keep  on  my  way  in  perfect  calm,  beneath  the  surface, 
without  resistance  of  any  kind  except  the  friction  of 
the  water.  These  points  were  strongly  in  my  favor  ; 
but  I  could  not  see  any  way  to  utilize  them.  One 
great  impediment  would  be  the  want  of  air.  If  I  should 
have  to  remain  below  the  surface  for  any  length  of  time 
beyond  a  few  hours,  I  should  have  to  keep  to  work  pre 
paring  and  introducing  new  air.  Then,  if  my  steering 
apparatus  should  get  out  of  order,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
repair  it,  and  if  my  goats  should  die,  or  become  sick,  I 
should  be  utterly  without  any  means  of  locomotion,  and 
liable  to  be  left  drifting  about  in  mid-ocean  till  death 
ended  my  troubles.  No ;  after  long  and  anxious  consul 
tation  with  myself,  I  was  forced  to  give  up  all  idea  of 
using  my  submarine  boat,  and,  having  so  decided,  put  it 
wholly  and  completely  out  of  my  mind,  and  did  not  allow 


364  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

myself  to  think  of  it  again  in  connection  with  my  escape. 
This  gave  my  mind  relief  to  concentrate  itself  upon  the 
second  means  of  escape,  namely,  the  steam  yacht. 

Here  I  was  again  puzzled.  There  was  a  great  deal  in 
its  favor.  I  should,  of  course,  have  to  sleep,  and  during 
my  sleep  I  should  go  to  leeward,  before  the  wind,  without 
reckoning  of  where  I  should  bring  up.  I  felt  that  I  could 
stop  this  drifting,  to  a  degree,  by  making  a  sort  of  bag  of 
canvas,  to  be  submerged  in  the  ocean  to  a  certain  depth 
to  which  the  yacht  could  be  anchored,  so  to  speak,  during 
the  night.  She  would,  of  course,  still  drift,  but  not  one- 
quarter  as  much  as  she  would  without  it.  Such  an  anchor 
was  often  used  successfully,  as  I  well  knew,  in  larger  ves 
sels,  in  gales  of  wind,  to  keep  them  head  to  sea,  and  to 
prevent  them  drifting  so  rapidly  to  leeward  before  the 
blast  as  they  would  without  it.  If  I  should  risk  this  drift 
ing  I  might  also  be  exposed  to  all  kinds  of  weather  and 
gales  of  wind  to  which  my  little  boat  was  hardly  equal.  I 
felt  confident  that  she  would  not  be  safe  in  a  heavy  sea 
way,  and,  if  the  machinery  should  break  down,  I  should 
be  reduced  to  sails  alone,  which  I  could  only  handle  in 
the  daytime,  and  which,  in  any  sudden  squall,  might  cause 
my  being  capsized  for  want  of  assistance  in  taking  them 
in.  No ;  I  knew  the  risk  was  too  great.  I  might  never 
see  land  for  months,  if  at  all,  if  my  machinery  should 
give  out  so  as  to  compel  me  to  use  sails,  which  would 
often  become  unmanageable  by  myself  alone.  Xo,  I 
must  give  this  idea  up ;  and  I  did  so. 


LIFE   RAFTS.  365 

I  next  turned  my  thoughts  to  a  catamaran  boat,  or  life 
raft,  —  something  upon  hollow  cylinders,  that  could  not 
capsize,  and  upon  which  I  should  feel  sure  of  being  safe, 
as  far  as  any  fear  I  might  have  of  the  ocean.  This  seemed 
more  feasible  than  anything  yet,  —  slow,  to  be  sure,  but 
more  safe  than  any  of  the  foregoing.  I  had  here  the  dan 
ger  of  being  washed  off  such  a  raft,  the  discomforts  of 
being  forced  to  go  without  fire  during  any  gale  of  wind, 
and  to  be  utterly  unable  to  advance,  with  any  great  speed, 
towards  my  place  of  destination,  unless  the  wind  should 
be,  by  chance,  favorable.  By  this  third  method  I  should, 
in  reality,  be  exposed  upon  an  open  raft  to  the  winds 
of  heaven,  for  how  long  a  time  God  only  knew.  That 
I  should  suffer  infinitely  I  felt  certain.  I  was  too  old 
not  to  see  plainly  just  what  I  should  have  to  go  through 
with  to  put  to  sea  in  such  a  vessel.  I  knew  that  it 
had  been  done,  and  that  just  such  rafts  had  crossed  the 
Atlantic  after  many  weary  days  of  passage,  and  others 
had  started  that  were  called  life  rafts,  —  and  believed  so  to 
be  both  by  practical  and  scientific  men,  who  had  examined 
them  before  their  departure,  —  which  had  never  been  heard 
of  again.  No,  I  would  not  trust  myself  to  the  mercies 
of  the  sea  in  this  manner,  and  exchange  my  pleasant 
island  for  its  dangers. 

My  last  chance  of  escape  was  by  my  flying-machine, 
and  the  many  things  in  its  favor  tempted  me  greatly,  and 
at  one  time  I  thought  that  they  had  overcome  in  my  mind 
the  danger.  I  could  easily  construct  one  of  these  ma- 


366  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

chines,  that  would  take  into  the  air  both  myself,  my 
two  goats,  provisions,  spare  sulphuric  acid  and  steel 
filings  to  make  new  gas,  and  if  my  machinery  would 
work  I  could  escape  in  safety,  I  felt  convinced.  I  could, 
as  I  have  said,  make  new  gas,  even  when  on  my  voyage ; 
and  if  I  should  use  up  all  my  sand-bags,  and  needed  more 
ballast,  I  had  only  to  let  down  a  bucket  into  the  ocean, 
attached  to  a  long  line,  and  pull  up  as  much  water  as  I 
might  need  to  overcome  the  buoyancy  of  any  new  gas  I 
might  make.  I  might,  also,  if  a  favorable  wind  should 
commence,  fly  like  a  bird  towards  the  continent  of  South 
America.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  a  gale  should  arise, 
I  might,  if  one  of  my  fragile  propellers  should  become 
broken,  be  hurled  before  the  blast  till  I  floated  above  the 
vast  ocean  far  beyond  the  reach  of  mortal  aid.  If  I  dared 
trust  my  machinery  this  would  be  the  way  I  should  make 
my  attempt ;  but  I  did  not  feel  that  I  had  the  right  to 
risk  my  life  in  this  manner,  or  by  any  of  the  above  meth 
ods,  till  I  had  exhausted  all  means  of  making  the  out 
side  world  come  to  me.  Therefore,  after  due  and  serious 
consideration,  I  made  up  my  mind  firmly  not  to  try  to 
escape  by  any  of  the  above  plans,  or  by  any  means,  till  I 
had  tried  the  other  alternative. 

This  decision  having  once  been  firmly  made,  I  felt  that 
more  than  half  my  task  was  already  done ;  for  it  was  this 
shilly-shallying  that  was  undoing  me.  Anything  was  bet 
ter  than  to  waste  my  life  in  this  useless  wavering.  What 
good  to  me  was  all  my  wealth  unless  T  could  utilize  it? 


FINAL   DECISION.  367 

and  to  do  so  I  must  run  some  risks,  and  the  quicker  I 
undertook  them  the  quicker  I  should  be  put  out  of  my 
pain  and  misery  if  my  plans  were  to  be  successful,  and  the 
more  years  I  should  have  to  enjoy  my  princely  revenues. 
I  could  not  better  affairs  by  any  act  of  mine.  It  was  all 
in  the  hands  of  God,  and  I  might  as  well  now,  as  at  any 
time,  give  myself  up  to  what  He  might  order  for  the 
best. 

Having  thus  made  up  my  mind  to  let  my  position  be 
known  to  the  outside  world,  and  to  ask  for  assistance  and 
aid,  I  had  next  to  settle  upon  the  best  plan.  If  I  should 
send  up,  daily,  one  or  more  small  balloons,  with  a  piece  of 
parchment  attached,  giving  the  latitude  and  longitude  of 
the  island  and  asking  for  rescue,  I  ran  several  risks.  In 
the  first  place,  I  was  well  aware  that  in  these  days,  on 
board  steamers,  with  passengers  especially,  anything  and 
everything  was  thought  of  to  pass  away  an  idle  hour,  and 
that  albatrosses,  when  caught,  were  fitted  out  often  wdth 
letters  and  legends  tied  to  their  feet ;  that,  in  sport, 
bottles  were  often  thrown  overboard  containing  fables  and 
yarns  of  shipwreck  and  disaster,  and  I  was  very  much 
afraid  that,  if  one  of  my  balloons  should  be  picked  up, 
it  would  be  taken  as  a  hoax,  as  the  first  thing  would  be  to 
examine  the  chart,  and  no  island  would  be  found  to  exist 
where  I  now  write  these  lines.  Besides,  if  anybody 
should  pick  up  one  of  my  balloons,  which  at  sea  was  im 
probable,  it  would,  I  fear,  be  taken  little  account  of. 
For,  although  I  might  send  up  hundreds,  the  chance  of 


368  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

their  falling  into  the  water  so  as  to  be  seen  by  any  vessel, 
in  the  daytime,  near  enough  to  be  distinguished  from  a 
nautilus,  was  extremely  and  infinitesimally  small.  ISTo,  I 
had  little  hope  in  this  direction.  On  the  other  hand,  should 
they  reach  land,  the  chart  would  show  that  there  was  no 
known  land  in  the  direction  specified,  and  the  whole  thing 
would  be  taken  as  a  hoax  from  the  next  neighboring  town, 
and  I  felt  sure  no  attention  would  be  paid  to  it.  And  if 
any  of  them  landed  on  the  coast  of  South  America,  as  was 
possible,  and  even  probable,  the  English  language,  in 
which  they  would  be  written,  would  be  so  much  Greek  to 
the  natives.  On  the  other  hand,  should  one  of  them  be 
picked  up  by  a  vessel,  and  search  made  for  the  island,  what 
guarantee  had  I  that  I  would  be  allowed  to  preserve  my 
treasure  ? 

No !  I  felt  that  small  balloons  would  be  of  little  use  to 
me,  and,  in  fact,  might  do  more  harm  than  good.  What 
should  I  do  to  prove  that  I  was  in  earnest ;  that  there  was 
such  an  island,  and  that  I  was  upon  it,  in  person ;  and  that 
I  needed  help  and  assistance,  which  I  could  repay  ?  Why, 
I  felt  convinced,  by  writing  a  history  of  all  my  sorrows, 
troubles,  and  tribulations,  that  would  bear  upon  its  face 
the  impress  of  truth,  would  carry  conviction  to  any 
mind  that  would  read  it,  and  would  prove  to  the  intellect 
of  any  one  that  it  was  not  fiction,  but  truth,  in  all  its  maj 
esty,  never  to  be  mistaken  for  the  former. 

This,  I  felt,  was  the  only  way  to  reach  out  towards  a 
rescue,  and  it  is  for  this  purpose  that  all  that  has  been 


MY   PROCLAMATION.  369 

herein  set  down  has  been  penned.  Having  made  my  mind 
up  firmly  to  this,  I  have  written  all  the  above,  to  be 
launched  into  space.  Let  me  beg  that  my  story  may  be 
believed,  and  that  I  may  be  rescued ;  let  me  ask  of  you, 
who  find  this,  by  God's  grace,  to  weigh  each  word  and 
sentence,  and  feel  that  you  are  reading  no  romance.  I 
shall  attach  this  to  a  balloon  of  size,  so  as  to  float  long  in 
the  air,  and  to  attract  attention,  if  ever  observed  by  any 
one,  both  by  the  strangeness  of  its  make  and  these  parch 
ment  sheets  upon  which  I  have  written. 

And  now  let  me  proclaim  to  the  world  the  following, 
—  for  if  this  manuscript  ever  does  come  into  the  hands  of 
anyone  who  intends  to  seek  me  out,  let  all  that  is  contained 
therein  be  perfectly  understood :  — 

PROCLAMATION. 

In  the  name  of  God,  Amen.  —  Be  it  known  to  all  men, 
that  I,  William  Anderson,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  do  here  solemnly  declare  that  I  am  the  dis 
coverer,  and  at  this  present  the  occupant,  of  an  island  in 
the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  which  I  have  named  Persever 
ance  Island,  and  that  said  island  lies  in  the  latitude  of 
42°  21'  S.,  and  longitude  119°  11'  15"  W.  of  Greenwich. 
That  I  was  cast  on  shore,  and  miraculously  saved  by  the 
goodness  of  God,  on  Nov.  10,  1865,  and  that  I  claim 
as  my  own,  in  the  name  of  the  United  States,  all  this 
hitherto  unknown  island  as  my  property,  belonging  to  me 
and  my  heirs  forever ;  and,  inasmuch  as  I  have  discovered 


370  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

upon  and  about  this  island  immense  treasures,  as  recited 
in  a  narrative  hereto  annexed,  I  ask,  demand,  and  pray 
for  the  protection  of  the  United  States,  and  hope  that  it 
will  be  deemed  both  fitting  and  proper  to  dispatch  a  man- 
of-war  to  protect  me,  for  which  assistance  I  am  fully 
ready  and  capable  of  reimbursing  the  government  for  any 
outlay ;  and  further,  let  it  be  well  understood  that  I,  the 
aforesaid  William  Anderson,  will  resist  to  the  death  any 
encroachment  upon  my  property,  by  whomsoever  made ; 
and  that  for  the  protection  of  myself,  my  treasure,  and  my 
island,  it  is  hereby  plainly  stated,  all  manner  of  instru 
ments  of  defence  have  been  made  by  me,  the  said  William 
Anderson,  and  that  the  harbors  of  the  island  are  strewed 
with  torpedoes,  and  that  it  is  highly  dangerous  to  attempt 
to  land  upon  any  part  of  the  island  without  intercourse 
with,  and  consent  of,  myself.  And  that  there  may  be  no 
mistake,  and  that  I  may  know  that  if  any  that  approach 
have  seen  this  proclamation,  and  acknowledge  my  just 
claims  and  pity  my  long  years  of  solitude  and  suffering,  I 
issue  the  following  set  of  signals,  to  be  by  them  used  in  token 
of  amity  and  that  they  come  to  me  as  friends,  otherwise 
they  will  be  treated  as  enemies;  and  although  my  wealth 
is  great,  as  herein  related,  it  is  believed  that  pity  for  my 
sufferings  will  touch  the  heart  of  any  in  the  civilized 
world,  and  I  do  look  most  for  succor  and  comfort  from 
the  ships  of  war  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The   signals   to   be  made   by   any  vessel    approaching 
the  island,  which  would  be  in  safety,  and  rules  for  anchor- 


NAVIGATING   DIRECTIONS.  371 

age,  etc.,  are  the  following,  and  must  be  strictly  ob 
served  :  — 

If  in  the  daytime,  the  vessel,  if  a  steamer,  will  stand  in 
to  the  mouth  of  Mirror  Bay  till  the  two  iron  discs  on  the 
mainland  are  in  line,  or  nearly  so,  when  she  will  anchor, 
in  six  fathoms  of  water,  and  then  fire  three  guns,  two 
from  the  starboard  side,  one  from  the  port  side,  and  then 
run  up  the  colors  of  her  nation  to  the  mizzen  peak.  A 
sailing  vessel  will  follow  these  orders  except  that  greater 
license  will  be  granted  her  in  coming  to  in  a  line  with  the 
two  discs. 

If  a  vessel  makes  the  island  in  the  night-time,  she  will 
heave  to,  or  stand  off  and  on,  and  not  attempt  to  approach, 
by  boat  or  otherwise,  at  her  peril,  till  the  morning ;  keep 
ing  up,  during  the  night,  a  red  signal  lantern  at  the  fore, 
and  firing  one  gun ;  when,  in  the  morning,  she  can  stand 
in  under  the  rule  preceding  this,  for  daytime.  Having 
anchored  and  signalled,  the  same  will  be  answered  by  the 
occupant  of  the  island  by  two  guns  from  South  Cape, 
when  a  boat  can  then  come  on  shore,  containing  three 
persons,  one  officer  and  two  seamen,  who,  if  unarmed, 
will  be  allowed  to  land,  and,  if  honest  and  true  men,  as  is 
to  be  hoped,  remuneration  for  all  their  trouble  in  seeking 
me  out  will  be  freely  granted.  But  let  it  be  distinctly 
understood  that  all  my  treasures,  of  both  gold,  silver, 
and  pearls,  are  no  longer  hidden  in  the  places  described 
in  my  narrative,  but  have  been  removed,  and  carefully 
re-hidden,  and  that  an  attempt  to  take  my  life  and  possess 


372  PERSEVERANCE   ISLAND. 

one's  self  of  my  treasures  will  be  futile,  for  their  burying- 
place  will  never  be  known ;  and  I  shall  resist  all  aggres 
sion  with  all  my  might  and  strength,  and,  if  need  be,  give 
up  my  life  in  defending  my  treasure,  that  I  have  watched 
over  for  so  many  years. 

In  my  lonely,  solitude,  with  none  but  the  hand  of  the 
ever-present  Providence  spread  over  to  protect  me,  I  sign 
the  above  proclamation  as  my  will  and  desire. 

WILLIAM  ANDERSON. 

PERSEVERANCE  ISLAND,  South  Pacific,  Jan.  10,  1877. 

And  now  I  have  done.  I  am  about  to  cast  this  manu 
script  to  the  winds  of  heaven,  to  be  conveyed  hence  to 
where  God  shall  think  best.  Let  me  beg  that  the  subject- 
matter  of  the  "Good  Luck"  may  be  published  in  the 
London  newspapers,  when  attention  may  be  brought  to 
the  case,  and  the  old  society  may  send  for  me,  and  believe 
in  me  much  quicker  than  the  outside  world  will. 

I  know  but  little  French,  but,  to  still  further  protect 
this  manuscript,  I  add  these  few  lines,  from  what  remains 
to  me  in  memory,  of  the  sailor's  French  that  I  once 
picked  up,  in  Havre,  in  years  gone  by,  so  that  this  may 
not  be  thrown  carelessly  away  if  it  falls  into  the  hands 
of  any  who  can  speak  that  lingo. 

AVIS. 

Ne  jetez  pas  cette  papier ;  c'est  ecrit  en  Anglais  et  est 
I>K  GRAND  IMPORTANCE.  Faitos  rendre  en  Fran9ais,  et 


THE   MANUSCRIPT   COMMITTED   TO   THE    WINDS.  —  PACK  372. 


FAREWELL  —  AWAITING   RESCUE.  373 

vous   trouverai    une    vraie   historic    d'or   et   de   Fargent 
trouve  par  moi  sur  une  isle  dans  Pocean  Pacific. 

I  have  no  more  to  add.  I  have  finished  my  story  with 
regret.  I  am  tying  this  manuscript  together,  and  inflating 
the  balloon  that  is  to  carry  it  where  God  wills. 

I  will  believe  in  His  justice,  and  await  in  patience  His 
reply  to  my  many  prayers. 

WILLIAM  ANDERSON. 


L'ENVOI. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  call  to  the  attention  of  those  whose 
eyes  it  may  have  escaped,  the  following  that  appeared  in  the 
New  York  Herald  of  June  16,  1880 :  — 

"  In  addition  to  our  account  of  the  wonderful  story  and  succor 
of  William  Anderson,  from  his  Pacific  Island,  with  all  his 
treasures,  and  his  arrival  at  this  port  in  the  U.  S.  S.  S.  Talla- 
poosa,  published  in  our  last  evening's  edition,  we  have  to  state  that, 
at  a  late  hour,  it  was  ascertained  that  this  remarkable  personage, 
who  appears  in  excellent  good  health  and  spirits,  ivill  at  once  sail 
by  one  of  the  Cunardejrs  for  London  to  confer  with  his  associates 
there,  who  were  the  originators  of  the  "  Good  Luck  "  scheme.  lie 
states  that,  having  no  relatives,  he  shall,  without  doubt,  expend  the 
larger  portion  of  his  immense  wealth  for  charitable  purposes,  and 
that  it  is  very  probable  he  may  return  to  Perseverance  Island,  with 
a  colony,  there  to  end  his  days.11 


VB  74536 


M309325 


